Nothing Will Tear Us Apart
by vertigo.jm
Summary: Draco likes Harry. Harry likes Draco back, he knows it. But it's not only Harry's girlfriend that might get in their way. There's the war going on after all, and they are enemies. HD SLASH!
1. Part I

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart**

Harry loved the feeling of hot water hitting his shoulders and making its way down his back after a Quidditch match, a match against Slytherin where he had gotten the Snitch right before Malfoy's nose. Again. Harry rested his hands against the white tiles knowing very well he was being watching, closely. He arched in pleasure feeling his muscles stretch and complain. With a little smirk, and still turned to the wall, he relaxed under the water. He knew someone was still watching him eagerly. Or rather pissed he should say.

Harry closed the shower making his way back to where he had left his clothes and towel. He draped a towel around his naked waist self-consciously, there were a few boys from the Gryffindor Quidditch team still in, almost finishing changing and Goyle was somewhere around though he did not care to know where or doing what.

Ron was the last Gryffindor to leave, by then Harry had dried himself off, and Goyle hadn't showed up yet. Someone else was there also, and Harry fully turned to meet the cold gray eyes of Draco Malfoy. Harry smirked and let the towel drop to the floor, uncovering him whole. He turned his back to Malfoy, deliberately taking several minutes to look around for his clothes and get changed, flexing his muscles and occasionally turning around as he did so. All the while the only thing that could be heard was a hitched breathing, which surely belonged to Draco.

Once the little show was finished, Harry turned around to look back at Draco, his lips were parted his eyes sparkling and chest heaving. Harry liked knowing that it was him that had caused that, that Draco Malfoy had lost his cool façade because of Harry Potter, of all people.

Fully clothed he left the changing rooms and he could swear he heard someone shouting in the distance. Harry continued to smirk one so familiar to him, although not usually seen plastered on his face. That smirk that had once infuriated him so, no now it was his turn to wear it, his turn to take control. He smiled faintly, whispering the password to the Fat Lady and getting inside his familiar common room.

Draco gritted his teeth all through dinner; he was so close to punching Har - Potter in the face. Across the Hall Harry was enveloping his girlfriend, the Weaselsette, in a hug. Yes he was very close indeed. Potter didn't know who he was messing with. Although Draco suspected Harry knew quite well with whom he has been messing with for months now. Draco tried to look away but the messy dark locks and the vibrant green eyes that locked with his dull ones every now and then didn't let him. Everything about Harry wouldn't let him look away, certainly some sort of spell he could cast. Or maybe not.

Harry left the Gryffindor table with his adoring fans right behind him, and holding tightly to his hand the she-Weasel, Ginevra. What sort of name was that anyway? Who with a goddamn functioning brain would call their child Ginevra? Draco of course was a much more respectable name, a real pure-blood's name. Of course Harry Potter Lord or Light and all that is purely good did not care about that girl's name, even less of her heritage. So irresistible of him. Certainly not.

"I'm going to pick up a fight with Potter," Draco announced to no one in particular, inviting anyone who cared to watch or follow him.

"Why honey?" Pansy whined.

Pansy was such a cow, Draco didn't know why he still had her around. As a matter of fact, he did know perfectly well and he was about to punch that reason right in the face at the exact moment.

"Because he annoys me Pansy, always has and always will," he explained making his way to Potter.

"Why Draco?" Pansy insisted.

Unfortunately she had spent so much wasted time with him that she had learned to read him relatively well, well enough to know that at the moment he was not telling her the honest truth. Damn cow.

"Because I can." She opened her mouth to protest. "Shut it Pansy. I'm fucking tired of you." She closed it just as quick.

No one dared to provoke the wrath of Draco Malfoy unless that someone was Harry Potter. Unless that someone dared to dangle Ginevra Weasley in front of him, on purpose! After all they had been through, after all they had talked. Draco gritted his teeth and it hurt. He wondered what exactly did hurt. Potter had it coming for a long time now, he didn't know why he hadn't done anything until now. Actually he did know, but that was beside the point.

He closed in on the happy Gryffindor couple – perhaps that was the problem, they'd never be the happy couple adored by all. Draco shook his head, now was not the time neither moment to be thinking about their problems. He pushed Ginny aside, with a little more force than needed and spun Harry around.

"I fucking hate you Harry," he whispered through his still gritted teeth.

Harry looked like a deer caught in headlights and Draco couldn't help to notice how endearing the Gryffindor was then. And then Draco looked back at the redhead on the floor who screamed after Harry. That was all it took for Draco to throw the first punch and he noticed with a grin that he'd probably broken the other boy's nose.

Harry ever the hero threw back a punch and before they knew what was going on they had tumbled to the floor kicking and punching each other with strength. It didn't take long for the stronger boy to have him pinned against the floor, Harry sent blows against his chest and digging his hips against his. Not entirely necessary. Pretending to pull him by the hair Harry put his mouth close to Draco's ear.

"If this is about the locker room you should've told me. You hadn't had the need to make a scene." Draco simply snarled at the boy.

"You know what this is about, I'm fucking tired of you and your stupid bitch," Draco spat.

Harry didn't fail to notice that Draco looked hurt. As he held Draco by his shoulders at arm's length he looked at the boy he had been in love with for several months now and he made the mistake of looking him in the eyes. Gray frigid pools, not so frigid since they had started seeing each other, not at all frigid now. Draco's eyes always betrayed him now that Harry had learned to read them and what he saw he certainly didn't like.

"I'm sorry Draco," he said letting go of the other boy's shoulder. Draco craved for the contact, he wanted it back. "You know I can't."

Draco pushed Harry off him completely. He scrambled to his feet his eyes narrowed, he looked completely furious and beautiful.

"Yes you can! Fuck you Harry," he screamed rushing away up the main stairs.

Harry pushed his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he had acquired some time earlier that year. Draco was not making this any easier on him. He knew he had to break things off with Ginny, but she looked like she really loved him, and he didn't want to hurt her. But someone he cared for much more was now hurting, sulking in some part of the castle. And Harry needed to find him.

"Harry what was that all about?" Ginny questioned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Harry almost flinched, almost.

"I'm going to get cleaned Gin, we'll take later," he said quietly moving through the crowd.

How could he have let the entire Great Hall watch Draco and him. It was quite normal for them to fight but never like that and everyone was now looking at him curiously. Damn Draco for making a scene. He tried cleaning his bloody nose on his sleeve as he left the Entrance Hall, it stung but it thankfully it had remained in one piece.

"Harry I'd like to talk to you," Hermione said catching up with him in the hallway.

"Hermione I can't right now."

"What is it exactly that you and Malfoy have?" That made him stop in his tracks.

"What do you think we have?" he asked cautiously, turning around to meet her; there was simply no point in hiding anything from her.

"I've suspected this for months Harry; the way you look at each other, and how you share mysterious smiles you think no one sees. But I do, I didn't know if you were completely oblivious of your feelings or if you pushed each other in the hallways just for an excuse to touch each other. I guess I just found out then."

Harry rubbed the back of his head feeling uneasy all of a sudden, he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell everyone about their relationship just yet, but he was safe in telling Hermione. Better start with someone than keep on trying to hide it from everyone forever.

"At first we were just fooling around, it was either that or back to fighting. And I liked us being friends, we have a lot in common actually, but a few months from now I don't know I grew attached and he did too I suppose," Harry tried to explain.

"Where do you want to get Harry?"

"I like him Hermione, a lot. And Malfoy asked me to break up with Ginny."

"Leave Ginny? For him. You'll actually take this forward?" Hermione looked nothing but astonished. Harry shrugged but thought better not to answer "Well, if you really like him Harry, but try not to hurt Ginny much."

Harry took a few deep breaths.

"I'm going after him, he's probably pissed at me," Harry said with a little smile.

"He looked a lot pissed at you Harry." She sighed. "Just be careful okay?" Harry nodded wearily before moving down the hallway and leaving Hermione behind.

Harry ran to the empty classroom they had claimed theirs, suspecting that he'd find what he was looking for. He knew Draco was probably there now, tearing things apart or sitting by the window staring down at the students at the grounds. He took a deep breath as he reached the door, hoping Draco would forgive him once more. He always seemed to, he really hoped he would just once more.

"Draco? Are you there?" he asked through the door.

No answer.

"Draco please just listen to me." Still nothing. "I'm coming in Draco."

Everything was dark inside the classroom, although Harry could still make out the bed and couch they had transfigured at the beginning of the year. Since it was already June there was no need for the fireplace to be lit, though a bit of heat would've helped. Draco was indeed sitting by the window, looking at the distance and hugging his knees to his chest.

Harry approached him cautiously as if he were a bomb ready to explode.

"Draco I'm sorry, I really am," Harry whispered sitting in front of the other boy.

"I don't believe you," Draco whispered back, still not looking at him.

The blonde was shivering, Harry just hoped he wasn't crying. He really hoped.

Harry sighted, he knew Draco had a point; he had been promising for such a long time that he'd talk to Ginny but there never seemed to be quite the right moment.

"I'll talk to Ginny tonight Draco, if that will make you forgive me. I'll talk to her even if it doesn't, I can't stand looking at you the entire day and not being able to touch you, to kiss you. I'll do anything to gain back your trust," Harry said desperately. Draco didn't react. "I-I love you Malfoy okay. I don't know when that happened and it scares the hell out of me, but if you're with me it would, it just - I - I'll be leaving now. I have something to take care of."

Ginny was sitting by the window up in her dormitory, staring at nothing. Nothing, that's what her life was, a big nothing. A few tears tickled down her face and she didn't have enough strength to scrub them off. She had too, she had to take any kind of trace Harry had left on her, but she didn't do it.

"Ginny?" Hermione called form the door. "Ginny are you alright?"

Ginny's sobs wracked her body, but she did not reply. She probably wouldn't be able to talk anyway.

"How could he Hermione?" she said after taking a few pained deep breaths. "I knew he didn't love me, of course I knew, but I thought he at least cared for me. I thought - I - I thought he'd learn to love me in time, that he simply didn't know how to. Merlin how could I have been so stupid," Ginny rambled.

"Ginny you have to understand that he does care for you, he considers you a great friend, one of his best friends but nothing more, unfortunately," Hermione tried to reason the smaller girl. "Harry asked me up here and see how you were doing."

"How I was - tell him to shove it, will you!" Ginny said angrily. She was actually pretty close to the truth, but Hermione wasn't about to mention that. "I can't believe it! He breaks up with me and asks you to come here and check on me! Well fuck him I don't give shit. I'll head downstairs as if nothing has ever happened and to hell with Harry Potter."

Hermione grimaced a bit, that wasn't exactly the way she wanted Ginny to act. Pretending wouldn't do her any good, she was sure it would only cause more trouble for Ginny and everyone else. She wasn't about to tell Ginny that though, she knew the red-haired had a temper.

Before she noticed Ginny had already left her dormitory and was heading towards the showers. Yeah, maybe taking a deep refreshing shower would do her some good. Hermione sat properly on Ginny's bed waiting for the girl to leave the bathroom, hoping that she'd like to talk some more when she did so

Harry was playing with his food across his plate, not really listening to his laughing mates neither to Hermione whispering in his ear. All he knew was that he screwed everything up, as usual. Draco wouldn't speak to him, Ginny wouldn't either. Ron was trying to pretend he wasn't happy that he had just broken up with his baby sister, probably never liked the idea in the first place.

He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how he could, in one bloody afternoon, screw everything up. Probably some kind of curse he had, that must be it, probably another bloody prophecy. Hermione was muttering furiously by his side, Harry had shut her out for so long he hadn't a clue of what she was talking about.

Looking away from Hermione he scanned the hall for a blonde hair he knew significantly well. Draco was sitting by the end of the Slytherin table, like Harry sat at Gryffindor's, not eating neither talking to his mates; Harry wondered if the Slytherin was doing any better. Draco looked up from his plate his eyes locking with Harry, he let his gaze fall quickly though.

Harry sighed, dropping his head and returning to his cold food. Hermione next poked him on the ribs pointing towards the entrance of the hall. Ginny had just come in, nose high in the air, looking at everyone but Harry. Harry bowed his head, it was the best he could think of at the time. She sat herself between Dean and Seamus three seats away from Harry talking to them loudly. Harry could only look at Hermione and shrug. Ron did the same.

Harry tried to catch Draco's eyes again, but the blonde wasn't sitting anymore. He had gotten up and was making his way across the hall. The teacher, students and ghosts all had their eyes on the blonde, probably thinking he was up for some trouble. Harry was watching him in confusion wondering where the hell was Draco going if dinner hadn't finished yet.

Instead of leaving the Great Hall though Draco kept going, to the last table in the dinning hall, Harry's table, the Gryffindor table. Harry smiled slightly, amused that Draco _always _had to make a scene. _Always. _He moved to the side giving Draco space to seat between Hermione and him. Harry was grinning by now. The entire Gryffindor table couldn't close their jaws; it was the first time a Slytherin had seated himself on the Gryffindor table in a very, very, very long while.

"Hermione," Draco said in greeting tipping his head forward.

"Draco," she did the same.

Draco looked sideways at Harry who was simply beaming. _Beautiful. _He found Harry's fingers interlaced with his own under the table when his plate appeared at the table and they resumed dinner. The entire hall was still very much confused although Dumbledore's eyes were surely twinkling, Snape was certainly fuming and McGonagall was trying, very hard, not to laugh.

…_tbc_…


	2. Part II

**Nothing will tear us apart – Part II**

The school year was coming to an end, and we would probably be separated by it. As much as I'd love to lie to myself, thinking he'd leave everything behind and stay with me, I know that line of thought is untrue. I, contrary to what most people still think, am not naïve. His father beckons and he will follow, just as he was raised to do. Raised to hate me and fight against me and my cause, I shiver just in thinking that perhaps we will meet in the battlefield. And I know – I know I will not be able to harm him, no matter what he does or says to me. Even if he assures me that it won't be for real, that it will be all an act, that he still doesn't accept Voldemort, I find it hard to believe him.

His father never thought he really loved me, we made a plan from the beginning of our relationship, Draco tells them he is using my infatuation for him against me. He and I know it is not true, but his father doesn't and neither does Voldemort. We think up inconsequential things to pass forward to them and Draco usually tells them I rarely talk about the Order business and that isn't quite a lie.

I'm looking down to the grounds from a window in the fourth floor corridor; I like the view from this particular window. The sun isn't blinding me, it's hiding behind some tower or other of this castle, there's a slight breeze on my face and I can see the whole lake and part of our dreaded Forbidden Forest.

It's Monday and the afternoon is almost over, the corridors are deserted, that is why I can be found here; most students are holed up inside their common rooms studying for the impending exams. I am more worried about the war I'm about to be thrown into, and about what worries Draco.

Something has been bothering him as of late, if it had something to do with the war I'm certain he would've told me all about it; no, this time it is something different. What I most fear is that perhaps what is troubling my loved one is something about us; I often wondered when he would start questioning himself about it all.

I hop from the sill, in need of a walk and maybe someplace dark to sit and think. The dungeons where usually good for that, but today the Slytherin territories were one I would not cross at all; not if my life depended on it.

Life without him has been unbearably uninteresting, like it always had. First, he was Malfoy annoying the hell out of me, now I could say I missed him for entirely different reasons. Of course I was extremely angry at him, but my anger did not change the fact that I missed that stupid smirk, and specially missed snogging the daylights out of him.

Draco kept to himself mostly, I could see him walking the corridors, his head down and shoulders slumped. He seemed to have forgotten about the whole Malfoy decorum. And it pissed me out so damn much that he did not even realize I was close to him most of the time. He never the scanned the rooms for my gaze like he used to, he never smirked knowingly as we passed each other clearly remembering the last encounter we have had.

I missed his lingering touches when we sat by each other at the DADA or during McGonagall's annoyingly long lectures. I missed him period. Draco the Zombie was not something I liked living with; he's never acted this way, not even when I sent his father to prison.

Not that I'd admit he was so important to me, it's not something I'm accustomed to do, boys aren't supposed to do the – I miss you come back to me, you're my everything -, kind of stuff. Not that I expected this from Draco, it's that he was supposed to miss me too and come back and figure out what was this goddamn problem of his.

Well I must not pass on my state of nervousness to my whole House any longer. I'll just quietly slip away from the common room and up to the owelry where I can spend time with the one being that'll give me unconditional love, if I keep feeding her properly of course.

Hedwig is here and she just flaps her wing occasionally, nips my shoulders affectionately and doesn't talk, specially doesn't talk. I find myself smiling, and it's been a long time since that happened.

It's been two weeks since I've properly spoken to him. Draco is avoiding me like plague; something he has never done, not even when we fought like hell. Something is bothering him badly and now, it's bothering me too. I'm scared he's having second thoughts about us, scared his father has done something to him; terrified of the notion that maybe Voldemort found out about the whole plan. But he _is _avoiding me, and that's what scares me the most. He should come to me and talk, he should scream and shout and kick, that's the Draco Malfoy I'm used too; but he is quiet now, so bloody quiet.

From where I sit I can see him, he is scarcely eating and trying to maintain polite conversation with some Slytherin or other; he has never done that before. I am boring wholes into his head with all this staring but Draco does not meet my stare, I want to kill him for I know he's feeling my eyes on him. Stupid, bloody, fuc–

"Harry - OI!" Ron called me loudly, also poking me in the ribs.

"What is it?" I hissed rubbing my tender side.

"I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes now, stop staring at Malfoy," Ron explained himself angrily.

I was pouting, something I had learned with Draco, but said nothing. Ron continued talking about some random thing or other but I paid him no heed.

"Stop pouting Potter it does not become you," a quiet drawl came from behind me calling my attention a few minutes later.

'What do you want Malfoy?" Ron spit out. They had never gotten to be friends.

Draco raised his eyebrows but said nothing, thankfully.

I, with my back to my lover, closed my eyes trying to gain my bearings. I've always hated being surprised like that, Draco hadn't looked at me for weeks and out of the blue he showed up to have a nice little chat? Something about this was off.

"You haven't talked to me in a while," I said disdainfully quiet, my heart was beating rapidly in my ribcage. Malfoy looked at me skeptically. "You could've at least waved or something." _Yeah, or something._

"Nothing better like the present, I should hope," some answer it was, and I hadn't been expecting it.

I stood up striding quickly past Malfoy and Ron. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with that damned blonde, not with Ron also there and especially not in the middle of the Hall. I could feel thousands of eyes following me, even our teachers we're following the encounter. Thankfully Malfoy caught the message and followed me out.

"Harry! Harry!" Draco was calling my name, but I didn't turn around. Maybe he hadn't understood my need for privacy at all, he should learn to shut up and follow every once in a while, really.

"Harry turn back at once and talk to me!" he demanded, I did neither. "I do not like speaking to your back Potter."

I should've waited to get into the first empty classroom I found, but Draco was so arrogant and annoying I just couldn't keep myself from snapping at him.

"Well you just get used to it then. That's how you've been treating me for the past weeks and that is exactly how you should be treated in return," I said as I turned around.

I probably looked threatening or Draco wouldn't have taken a step back, maybe he did it because he hadn't expected me to answer him. Funnily enough I'm usually the controlled one, I never fight in public and tend to try and not fight at all. Draco was the one who had it in for theatrics, I _hated _it!

"Will you stop with that and listen to me," Draco spoke in exasperated tones.

"No Malfoy you will shut up for once and follow me; if you didn't realize, half the school is probably listening in our conversation, something as you surely know I do not enjoy," I said angrily turning once more and continuing my way down the hall.

I heard Draco's angry strides, fast but short, behind me and knew I was in for a treat. Draco had the most monotone way of berating me sometimes; though not when both of us were usually angry. We stopped fighting a very long time ago, but sometimes it just felt like the old days. It was Slytherin vs. Gryffindor all over again; maybe that's why everyone was so interested in watching us fight.

"What the fucking hell is your problem Potter," Draco spat turning around to meet me once he closed the door behind himself.

I was to busy casting wards on the room to answer him, or notice that he was almost spitting fire through his nostrils, talk about living up to the name. But once I did look up at him I couldn't help but notice his fierce glare and red-rimmed eyes, his hair was almost standing on its ends and his fists were balled. It would've sounded mightily pathetic to anyone else, but my own mind was the only one who heard me think: Draco looked completely beautiful.

"I should be the one asking you that question shouldn't I Draco, you've been avoiding me," I snapped heatedly shaking my head to get rid of any stray thoughts.

Draco started retorting immediately but I beat him to it, "Do not dare to try and deny it, you and I both know it is true, hell the whole school probably knows it's true."

"How completely Wonder-Boy of you to assume you knew what I would say next Potter," Draco drawled like the aristocratic brat that he was.

I could do nothing better than scoff.

"Did I finally render you speechless Potter?"

"Believe me Draco you have rendered me speechless several times, but this is certainly not one of them," I said mimicking the smirk I often saw him wear.

"You continue saying whatever makes you sleep better at night."

"Saying random words do not help me sleep any better, you do," I snapped turning my back to him, and almost kicked myself for saying something so bloody sappy.

But maybe that's what I should've said all along, told him the truth, that I missed and that I truly, truly loved him in spite of everything that has happened and has been happening. Draco looked like a goldfish, because he still wasn't used to my displays of affection, few and in between as they were. He said nothing and neither did I; this silence seemed somehow sacred though, nothing uncomfortable, it was extremely well welcomed.

"Harry I didn't think you'd –" he spoke, but I beat him to it once more.

"Notice? Miss you, perhaps, well as usual you thought wrong," I sniffed, sometimes I wondered if I wasn't turning into a Malfoy myself. "I care for you Draco I thought you knew that by now, when you do not look for me I start wondering, I get worried," I tried to explain to him slightly exasperated, but Draco never understood, he'd been brought up in such a way that made me wonder if he ever would understand my feelings.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have avoided you, there's much going on and I am slightly confused as to what to do," he tried to explain at loss of words certainly.

I waved my hand dismissively, as soon as he'd understood what had gotten me angry I'd forget about it all. I used to think it was a funny way that these things worked; don't fret I don't think it funny at all anymore.

"I – I've been worried Harry," he blurted out hurtling me away from my mind wanderings. "The war is almost in on us, and -" Draco refrained from finishing his sentence and slumped to the floor, resting his back against the cool wall and closing his eyes.

The blonde sat there simply staring into nothing and Harry wondered what this week and today were about. If he had been worried about it before it worsened a thousand times over just by looking at the broken boy by his feet.

I rarely saw him in such a state, not hiding his emotions and I didn't think there was much I could do. Draco had gathered his legs and hugged himself around the knees, resting his forehead against them. He looked like a distressed child and perhaps that's what he truly was within.

"Draco please, tell me what's wrong," I whispered kneeling in front of him, from such distance I could hear the sobs I hadn't heard before. I rubbed circles on his back trying to sooth him, wondering if it would really work.

"I've been talking to Dumbledore, I wanted to help because of everything you're doing," he started explained. "I feel like I'm not helping at all, and I want to be there when you kill him. I don't want to hide away or really work for my father. I know my father thinks this is all a ruse but I want to do more than confuse him.

"Dumbledore thought the best way I could help would be to start talking once more with father about becoming a Death Eater, we had postponed the conversation because of our relationship," by then I started feeling uncomfortable about this whole conversation. "Dumbledore wants me to take the Mark and become a spy," he finished with a whisper.

I without a doubt couldn't hide my shock from my Draco. Sitting there staring at the blonde hair hidden between his knees trying to access all the information he had just told me. But it was too much to swallow down at once.

Dumbledore was turning senile, that was the only acceptable answer he could get. I have always trusted that man with my life, I put aside all his lying and manipulations because I knew that most of the time it was for the best. But something that would hurt my Draco was out of question. I had never doubted Dumbledore since my fifth year but this idea of his was preposterous.

"That old fool is out of his bloody mind!" I shouted in a fit of rage. "Draco there's no freaking way YOU are becoming a spy, I want you by my side, not against me."

"It would be good for our side Harry, we need it now that Snape isn't trusted anymore."

"Draco please don't, you'll get killed, I won't bear looking at you at the wrong side of the field when the battle comes," I tried to make him understand. "Draco listen to me you cannot believe this is for the best, Dumbledore is old he's lost a few screws to the head. Your father will kill you if he finds out the truth, it won't work and you'll be killed."

"Harry don't you believe in me?" he asked lifting his head from his arms. I nodded vigorously, of course I did. "Then let me do this, it's really for the best, I'm sorry about this ridiculous display, I'm just scared."

"I have no say in the matter?"

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Then I'll be by your side, I really don't think you're doing the smart think, but who's to say it isn't noble and right, I just won't be able to accept it all, not now," I breathed out before I changed my mind.

"Thank you Harry, this means the world to me."

I sat by his side, my back to the cold wall as well, I couldn't believe my Dragon was going to Voldemort willingly; it was just too bloody bad to be true. Trust that something awful like this should happen to me, but I'd make sure he'd survive this even if I kill myself doing it. Draco was not going to be murdered just because Dumbledore thought it was best if he joined his father.

We stayed that way; our shoulders bumping, my hand on top of his drawing reassuring circles on its back, hoping this would last forever, and that Voldemort miraculously died of some kind of muggle disease. That way there would be no need to go to war. Love conquers all they say, I prayed it'd be true, that we'd have a chance and that I'd have the rest of a happy normal life to live with Draco by my side.


	3. Part III

**Disclaimer: JKR (a muse to us all) owns all the characters and so on and so forth, I obviously am not gaining anything and don't intend to!**

**A/N: Enjoy! I updated this in a hurry, heh kinda, because of the summer hols and all, anyway sorry if there are such horrible grammar mistakes!****

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**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Part III**

"Mischief Managed," I whispered to the Map, checking it one last time. No one was near thankfully.

It had been the most chaotic week of his entire existence, ever since Draco had told me he had plans in joining Voldemort's ever growing army. The other boy didn't ever know what that declaration had done to me, I was a nervous wreck; a bundle of some many emotions I didn't even have time to figure out. Draco had sprung that awful news at me and left me, Harry to pick up the pieces. Not that the boy had left me per se, but Draco hardly knew what was going on inside that head of his let alone in anyone else's.

It was all very confusing he couldn't understand how one chat in Dumbledore's office could change it all. Ever since they had gotten together Draco was happily proclaiming that he'd rather kiss a dwarf's behind than have anything to do with his father ever again. And really Harry could quite understand that because he himself would rather kiss many behinds of those poor unsuspecting dwarf's than ever _see _Lucius Malfoy ever, ever, ever again. But one fine morning that twinkling four eyed lunatic had called Draco to his office for a little chat and Harry supposed that's when it all began.

I tried to forget about everything that was bothering me lately and relax before entering Their room. It was just like they had last left it. Cozy although rather chilly at the moment mind, but still neat. I wandered to the fireplace taking my time; after some time, lit the room grateful for the fires warmth.

My favorite armchair practically beckoned my call and I couldn't ignore it. It almost swallowed me whole as expected but there was something digging into my side that was bothering me. I dug my hands into it retrieving a small black jewelry box. I had almost forgotten it was there, it was much too important to be forgotten really but after everything that had been on my mind lately it was to be expected.

I was hoping to give this to Draco this night; if he bothered to appear at all because he was rather late already I realized looking at the nearby clock. Well I hoped Draco did appear, because really my eyes glimpsed the big bed at the back of Our Room that would beckon our call, just as soon as he got here of course.

In a three days time we'd all leave and you would go back to your family. I hoped, or rather prayed for every deity that you'd be safe and that Voldemort wouldn't find out about Dumbledore's idiotic plan. I said idiotic but I didn't mean easy to catch on, because he _was _Albus Dumbledore after all, there was no denying that. Anyway I rather hoped you'd hurry to come and find me because I'd start hyperventilating at the possibility of not spending this night with you. Because I wanted to spend the night with you so very, very much at least for this last time before you had to leave me.

Well I almost did end up having a nervous breakdown because it took you another ten minutes to stumble through the door, completely out of breath looking rather startled actually.

My eyes wandered down to my hands that were still holding the jewelry box, I hastily hid it into the confinements of my school robe once more. That I'd only give to you later on, I had the whole night figured out perfectly after all –

"Well are you going to spend the whole night there watching me?" Draco asked me rather pointedly.

Well, maybe _almost _perfectly planned then.

I flushed before scrambling from the chair and crossing the room towards you. Before you had time to properly catch your breath I pulled you to me by your hand, placing both my arms around your waist. You looked surprised, perhaps because I had never been one to be careful with you. But something about tonight made me feel that you either of us would break at any hastiness in our part.

"I'll miss you Draco I hope you've got that wrapped around that brain of yours, I'm not quite sure I'll manage to breathe properly knowing you'll by my side any longer," I mumbled into your neck, the part of your body my mouth was currently attached to.

"You won't have to worry Harry, I'll be fine you'll see! Soon we'll do what needs to be done and Voldemort will be gone then you and I will have the rest of our lives to be together," he whispered into my hair and I took a few deep breaths trying not to break down now of all times.

I took you by the hand planting kisses on your neck that made you shiver and give out into those mewling noises I love to hear from you. Those that come deep from your throat and its husky and erotic in a way I can't even start to describe. I lead you through the room trying to undo the buttons of your shirt, but the flames from the fireplace are casting the most beautiful shadows across your exposed neck, I'm drifting from the task at hand, and it's almost enough to throw you to the floor and take you there.

I can feel your smirk when you notice my hungry gaze on your collarbone and I'm almost growling. You push me away a little and it's surprising when the back of my knees hit the couch and I sit rather forcefully. You're laughing and it's music to my ears and I feel like laughing along too, this is all too unreal for me to grasp really. It's been hard finding time to spend _this _kind of time with you for the last few days.

Knowing that I'll be watching, no matter what, you take your time undoing the remaining buttons of your shirt one by one, painfully slow and with every new patch of skin revealed to me I can feel myself getting harder. We've done this so many times, but it just feels like a new adventure every time we're at _it _again.

There's something twitching rather insistently inside my trousers and I ache to let my erection free. You take you your time undoing your belt too and that is about enough for me. I get up from my place of the couch and with only to step you're all flush against me I use my hands in your lower back to help you when with practiced ease you lift yourself up and snake your legs against my waist. Our erections brush and it's all shock and sparks like we're used to. I can say, and it is wondrous to say so, that my body aches for yours like it has never done before, perhaps it is the impending doom of it all, but it amazes me to feel it nonetheless.

Carrying you across the room didn't come to be much of a challenge and it was only for few steps anyway. The bed was looking at me invitingly but you did not seem to notice it, you were solely focused on marking my neck as yours with all your licking and sucking and nibbling of it. I fight a loosing battle when trying to keep my moans to myself; I still wonder how is it that the usually shy and quiet Harry just looses all his insecurities with you.

You have your way with me as always but a long way after our love making I'm satisfied to see that I am not the only one still reduced into a quivering mess. After a while I feel that you're falling into a doze just like you always do after a powerful orgasm and I try to keep myself from sighing wistfully, soon I'd be missing these encounters of ours.

Perhaps it was time for me to give my present for you, before you fell asleep. I take my time scanning the discarded pieces of clothing that got thrown around the room in our rush, I found my robes by your side of the bed and the box I was looking for seemed to have rolled out of my pocket and onto the floor.

I picked it from the floor and went back to bed. You seem to have fallen into deep slumber and it pains me to wake you up when you are clearly in need of sleep. I kiss your nose hoping that it'll be the best way to ease the transition from your dream world back into the cold world that waits to embrace you.

Without sensing my somewhat morbid thoughts you smile at me through half lidded eyes; my heart clenches at the sight, knowing that it will be a while until I see you smile like that again, if at all. You caress my cheek lovingly but I close my eyes from seeing the love that shines in your eyes because I know they mirror my own, and with each passing moment it gets harder to let you leave.

"I have a present for you dragon," I say softly hoping I'm disguising my pain well; not doubting a minute that I am, because now your eyes are suddenly sparkling with joy.

"Really, for me?" you questioned smiling widely, one of those time-stopping smiles that very few ever get to see. "Well, let me have, let me have it!"

I smile at your enthusiasm just mention the word _present_ and you're acting like a five year old on Christmas morning; but just like watching a five year old, watching your undisguised joy is beautiful sight. I hand you the velvet box before you snatch it from my hands in your impatience.

You open it with bated breath, inside it rests a silver bracelet I myself picked out a few weeks ago. It looks nothing but a normal bracelet with a little plaque on the middle. You look up questioningly at me but I only smile knowingly, years of Latin lessons must've thought you to read what's in that little plaque.

"Omnia vincit amor," you whisper, it only takes a moment but it's clear you understood my message because your eyes well up with tears and you look back at me no longer masking the hurt of our future separation. "_Love conquers all_... I really hope so Harry, I really do."

"I wanted to put some kind of protection charm, or anything that would tell me if you were in danger, but Voldemort would easily find out about any of those," I explained, and until today I'm not sure what exactly I said but your tears started falling then. "So I just hope this will be a reminder of better times for you Draco. And don't ever forget that I love you more than life itself." When I'm finished you sobbing harshly and I'm lost at what to do.

It hits me soon, what better way than to ease your pain than by throwing my arms around you and holding you tight to me, like we've done countless times before. But instead of easing it I fall into despair just like you, crying noiselessly into your neck but knowing you're feeling my wet face pressed against your side. It was I who tried to make you feel better but in the end it was you who was trying to reassure me.

"Hey shh, don't worry sweat, we'll be together soon, we'll kill that heartless bastard soon enough and than we'll be together for eternity," you say to my squeezing me tighter.

I really wanted to believe you then, but I hardly thought your words were true, I expected to die in this war, and you knew of my expectations although you doubted them with stamping foot stubbornness. I wanted to make plans and dream of houses in the country with a handful of kids and white piquet fences but something inside me advised me against making them, knowing I was only in for a disappointment.

The next morning we cling to each other in the corridor before making our separate ways back to our common rooms. You and I make a huge scene in breaking up during our ride at the Hogwarts express. Most people are not surprised, expecting you to run to your father just as soon as you leave school. I make myself look crushed, and I truly was because letting you go was perhaps the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. But if serving as a spy was what you truly wished to do I'd support you the whole way as you knew I would.

Hermione shook her head truly disappointed at you and Ron made horrid comments about you for the rest of our journey home, I ignored them both and sat quietly at my side of the compartment glancing at the running mountains as the train sped by, wondering when I'd be able to see you again, hoping I'd be able to see you again before I met my destiny.

* * *

Thanks for reading! please review, I'd love to know your thoughts about the story so far! Thank you for everyone who was already reviewed so far! 


	4. Part IV

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Part IV**

It's been three years since we left Hogwarts though I'm afraid that night was not the last I saw of you, during our battles I always caught a flash of white blond hair behind that horrid masks those who serve Voldemort wear. I know it is you because your father has been killed a long time ago by a stray curse and no other has the fair hair that matches yours. I remember back then when I had heard the news that he had died, I half expected you to burst through the door at Grimmauld Place and happily proclaim you had left the Death Eaters for good since there was nothing holding you them any longer.

Now when I think about it, I actually laugh at my childish thoughts. There are still plenty of things holding you to them. Dumbledore, for one. That ugly tattoo on your arm too. And maybe that need to prove yourself useful that you had when we were back at school. But I didn't question your motives then and won't do it now although I have to admit that I was still hoping you would leave the Death Eaters and come back to my arms.

I have been talking to Dumbledore privately for hours after our practice sessions. He has been teaching me to better control my new powers. When I turned twenty my Wizarding heritage was revealed to me and what I learned shocked me greatly. Dumbledore explained that my father was heir of Gryffindor himself, and thus so was I; that did not surprise me and I thought it explained why my innate magic had gradually become unbelievably strong since I had turned seventeen.

At first I didn't even notice the differences, but now a few weeks after turning twenty I believe it's magnified tenfold since I was a child. But to my surprise, although I really should've been expecting it, that was not true the entire truth.

Once the Headmaster realized how strong I truly was he explained that when my father was my age he wasn't has as powerful as I now was. He left me alone for a few days researching into old books of his before finding out the truth about my unusual magical powers.

Unbelieving how he had managed to overlook such thing he told me that my mother was not in fact a mere muggleborn. She came from a family of squibs. For several generations only squibs were born into the Evans family and after many years the magical world was forgotten by them. They lost the truth about their family somewhere along the way, loosing the knowledge of the magical world as well.

But the Headmaster found that, that some great-great-great-great-great grandfather of Lily Evans, in the seventeenth century had married none other than a female distant descendent of Salazar Slytherin. The woman had taken the Evans name and they had only one offspring. He was known to be a complete menace to the world and had been cursed into a squib by the mages that took care of the law, at the time. It was said that only when someone worthy of carrying the Slytherin name was born that their magic was returned.

My mother was brought to the magical world believing she was a muggleborn, turned into nothing more than a Gryffindor once she got at Hogwarts, possibly for fear of being rejected because of who she believed she was.

So the real reason for my unbelievable innate magic was finally revealed, I was not only heir of Gryffindor but heir of Slytherin as well. I understand now why the Sorting Hat wanted so badly to put me into that house and I wonder if anything had gone any different if I had befriended Draco before Ron during those first weeks in the Wizarding World.

I want with all the bones in my body to feel proud of whom I truly am, but it disgusts me to think that being heir of Slytherin is only another thing that connects me to the monster who tries avidly to kill me. Voldemort does not know the real truth about me, he does not know about my 'new' power. And I don't expect him to, because Dumbledore and I hope that we have finally come upon "the power that he knows not" that the prophecy spoke about.

Although for a while I had thought that this power was my will to live and love, I wondered if you wouldn't help me kill him in the end of it all and that this was what would bring his downfall, my love for you, Draco Malfoy. But perhaps I had been wrong. After all being such a thing as heir for two of the four Founders had to bear some significance.

Speaking of love, Ginny has been trying to get together with me since my birthday, I wish you were here to watch this, the poor girl doesn't understand that I only have eyes for you. But I think that Ron and Hermione are behind this somehow; hoping that I will date her in order to forget about what they _think_ you have done to me, yes they still don't know the truth. Dumbledore wants this way, you want this too and I came close to breaking my oath to you several times.

_-/-_

Harry kept his gaze far into the Forbidden Forest to misguide his mind from rather troubled thoughts. Dumbledore informed him only a few hours before that Tom pretended to attack the Parliament and that the Order was to disrupt Voldemort's plans and if possible capture any Death Eater to be brought in for questioning.

He became extremely troubled with what the Headmaster disclosed to him, wondering if Draco could possibly be caught into the middle of this all and have his cover blown. But thankfully the older man had reassured him that Draco was taking care of his mother who had fallen ill and would not be participating.

That being said Harry felt a small weight being lifted from his shoulders thankfully he would not need to worry about his lover when in battle, Dumbledore had thrown him a glance that Harry couldn't quite place but brushed it off as unimportant. And now anyone could find him lost in thought wondering if he would survive another battle, pleading with grim hope that Voldemort would turn up and then they'd be able to finish it all once and for all. He saw with his peripheral vision that Ron was coming his way and kept himself from cursing loudly.

"Harry mate, I've been looking for you, come with me to the Great Hall for a bit of food eh," Ron said and Harry noticed that the usual enthusiasm that laced Ron's words whenever he talked of food was nowhere to be found.

Harry sighed heavily following his best mate through the corridors and hating the fact that Ron had been caught up in this war only because he was best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived. Truthfully Harry believed with every fiber of his being that he and Hermione should be hiding in some cottage trying to live a normal life while taking care of their two year old son instead of living in the castle.

Ron had a family to look after he shouldn't put himself in danger by going into battle with him, unfortunately whenever Harry _tried _to voice his thoughts to either of his friends he'd get scolded and possibly hit, pretty hard too if it was Hermione he tried to convince.

"Where's that beautiful wife of yours Ron?" Harry questioned once they took their seats by the old Hufflepuff table.

"If you still weren't in love with Malfoy still I'd really start worrying mate," Ron observed earning a well deserved fierce scowl from Harry who in turn started angrily stuffing food into his mouth. "She's giving a bath to the little tyke, hoping to distract him from this grim mood that everyone's in."

"Nathan is oddly perceptive isn't he," Lavender Brown commented from their left.

Harry started coughing rather violently, having swallowed much to food in one go on his attempts to stop thinking about Draco. He drank greedily from his cup of pumpkin juice while Ron thumped him on the back. His throat started clearing and he could breathe again, but as soon as he took the first shuddering breath everything became a blur he could see hear Ron screaming his name but then everything out of a sudden went black.

-/-

_Harry opened his eyes looking around, he seemed to be in some sort of chamber, made completely out of stones. Perhaps he was in some sort of castle. He could smell rotten flesh and it didn't take long for him to tie the fetid smell to Voldemort and his snake like appearance. He could feel his body quivering with suppressed anger but it was not his own. The Dark Lord was extremely pissed off, Harry guessed, the attack probably hadn't gone as expected in the end. Harry didn't have to wait much to find out because 'his' mouth opened and Voldemort spoke in a raspy bark._

"_Wormtail!" he bellowed, the sound reverberating on the walls and echoing. Harry felt himself thinking about Uncle Vernon's yelling but stopped himself from doing so._

_He tried keeping his mind as blank as possible; he didn't think it would be good for Tom Riddle to realize he was listening to his plans. During those years where they had openly been in war randomly Harry had visions of Voldemort's conversations and attacks even with the amount of Occlumency he had learned to master. And thankfully having such knowledge about Occlumency made it possible for him to hide in a dark corner of Riddle's mind and remain undiscovered. _

_Pettigrew soon appeared by one of the side doors of the dungeon-like room, he scurried across the room and bowed low to his master kissing the hem of his black robes. It was at times like these that Harry wondered how completely pathetic someone had to be to live catering to Voldemort's whims. He found himself unable to find an answer but could see that Peter Pettigrew seemed to be pathetic enough to accept his duties happily._

"_I can't believe you have failed me yet again! I am not happy about your lack of accomplishments Wormtail, and you best tell this to the pitiful excuses of Death Eater's that participated in the attack!" he said in a low hiss, Nagini's tongue darted out of her mouth, she'd have been licking her lips in anticipation had she had any._

"_M-master I'll tell them r-right away," Wormtail said his voice dripping with fear._

"_You better," Voldemort hissed drawing out his wand. "Crucio!"_

"_How did the Order find out about the attack that's what I would like to know and you will find out Wormtail. You'll find out who is the little traitor who has been passing information to Dumbledore," he spit angrily after finishing the curse, while Harry winced in pain and Wormtail scurried away, his legs shaking badly, and bowing all the way._

"_Potter," Voldemort hissing angrily. Harry felt his scar exploding in pain and he fell back into oblivion. "I believe, Nagini my sweet that someone has been listening in at our CONVERSATION!"_

_-/-_

Harry snapped his eyes open, looking hastily around at his surroundings. Everything was dark but he instantly knew he was not in his bed. He looked around and was relieved to find the clean white hangings and walls of the Hospital Wing around him. The curtains were shut around his bed but from the lack of natural light he guessed it was somewhere in the middle of the night. He wasn't in pain, only in slight discomfort from the twinges his scar gave and wondered what had happened for him to earn a stay under Madam Pomfrey's care.

Before he could lift from the bed to investigate what had been going on the draws around the bed drew slightly apart, he waited for someone to come in but what slightly confused when no one did. The next second his grinning best friend appeared from under his invisibility cloak drawing the white curtains shut again.

"Ron what are you doing here?" Harry enquired quietly. "What's going on?"

"Well you sort of fainted during dinner yesterday night," Ron mumbled apologetically.

"Wait, yesterday as in?"

"The night before last," said Ron his brows knitting together in confusion.

"Bugger I lost the attack!" Harry said angrily. He frowned and wondered for what seemed like the thousandth time why he had awoken in the Hospital Wing. "But what happened to me Ron? I mean for me to come here."

Ron looked startled and kept quiet. Harry held his friend's gaze, and raised an eyebrow in order for him to explain himself. Ron didn't seem to keen on the idea of explaining though, and he looked apprehensive above it all.

"Ron?"

"I don't know, when you fainted I was pretty worried, I brought you here and soon enough Dumbledore showed up. He said that you'd be find that we shouldn't worry," Ron explained apprehensively. "Hermione checked you after he left and said you were just in magical slumber, she thinks someone laced your food and drinks with sleeping potion."

Harry stared at his friend unblinking, he couldn't believe someone would do that to him, but he certainly had a fair idea of who had done it. There was only one person in this entire castle who wanted him away from these fights, only one person who would put potion on his food without Harry noticing it. Dumbledore. But he brought his thoughts back to the attack he had missed.

"Wait, everyone's alright then? The hospital doesn't sound to be full," Harry said worriedly, trying to change the subject.

"Yes everyone's fine, Kingsley was struck by a nasty curse but he's recovering. Nothing too serious, other than a few cuts and bruises, the normal stuff," Ron said.

Harry's heart clenched with his friend's words though, talking about people being hurt as if it was natural. But they were at this for so long that it became normal for them to see their friends injured, Harry never tolerated those injuries but it became easier to bear. It frightened him to death that it was so.

"Anything else then? Any prisoners?"

"Not really, but you have no idea who I stumbled across during the battle," Ron said in a rush. Harry nodded him to continue. "The ferret! That bloody ferret was there, I knew he had joined them but to actually see him after all you've been through." Harry looked stricken but didn't answer. "Now don't you worry mate, I hit him with a hex or two for you, alright maybe more; when I was through with him I couldn't even recognize the ferret actually." Ron patted Harry reassuringly but the boy didn't move.

"Really Ron," he answered his voice meek. "Well, too bad I – I wasn't there too watch eh."

Ron seemed to notice Harry's dejected tone and looked at him sympathetically. Harry hated that look; he saw it at every single direction he looked.

"I'm sorry mate, I know you – you lov – loved him, but you must forget him," Ron said sternly. "He's a Death Eater now, and he doesn't deserve anyone's love least of all yours. You deserve someone better than him."

The raven haired boy hung his head, his bangs covering the tears that started to fall from Ron's immediate view. His shoulders shook with the strength of his tears and he knew, without having to look, that Ron was stunned speechless. Ron had never seen Harry cry. He just didn't cry, Harry was the strong hero after all, through all his years at school he had never cried in front of Ron, and they had gone through many things together.

Ron was saved from trying to comfort the boy because they were interrupted by no one other than Hermione, his wife, with their son in her arms. Harry heard the steps faltering, probably once she looked at him, but they continued and made their way to the chair were Ronald was seating.

"Nathan wanted to come and visit but – take him back to the room Ron, he can come later, I'll talk to Harry," Hermione whispered motioning to Harry. Nathan protested asking if his "U'cle 'Arry" was sick, his father reassured him that everything was alright but their voices drowned out not much after they left. "What is it Harry, is this because of _him_?" she asked cautiously, sitting by the bed.

Harry cried on incapable of speaking just yet. Hermione seemed to understand his silence and scooted closer hugging him to her. Harry didn't move but carried on crying against his best-friends neck as she drew reassuring circles on his shuddering back.

"I can't keep on like this Hermione I love him so much, and – and Ron was boasting about hexing his ass of. I'm not strong enough to keep on going like this I'm going to break sooner or later and I'm not sure if anyone will be able to put my pieces back together again," Harry said shakily moving away from her and resting again against his pillow.

"I know you still love him Harry that much is obvious, you haven't seen anyone since you broke up with him." She smiled sadly at him and cleaned his face. "But you have to understand that he is not worth it, he turned his back to you the day he joined Voldemort."

Harry laughed hollowly and shook his head at her.

"You don't understand Hermione; he left and joined _them _because of me, h-he loves me still, just as I never stopped loving him."

"Malfoy joined the Death Eaters because of you Harry?" she asked him dubiously.

Harry smiled a watery smile.

"I wasn't suppose to tell anyone this but –" He paused and drew series of complicated patterns with his hands securing the space around the bed against eavesdroppers, before continuing, "– everything you saw that day at the Express was faked, we faked the break up and made it very public for news to carry on to Voldemort fast. Draco was uncomfortable because he believed he wasn't doing his part in this war, he went to Dumbledore who put the stupid idea of spying into his head.

"I tried to persuade him but his mind was made and I accepted his decision quietly, we didn't have much more time at the school and I wanted it to be spent together, not fighting because of this bloody war. So Draco left and has been secretly meeting Dumbledore to pass on information ever since, but the only time I am able to see him is if I catch a glimpse of him during any battles.

"Draco is the one who told him about this last attack and I had one of my visions just now, Voldemort was angry at the failed attack, he knows they have a spy. If they get Draco I don't know what I'll do, Hermione I won't be able too live through this is they get him."

Harry studied his intelligent friend trying to gauge her feelings, she was stunned beyond words that much was true, but he wanted to know if she had believed his story or not.

"You must promise to keep this a secret, the old man will have my skin if he finds out that I've told this to you," Harry explained taking her hands in his. "Not even to Ron."

"Don't worry Harry, you can trust me, you know you can," she said squeezing his hands. "Ron wouldn't believe me if I told him anyway." Harry laughed. "I can't believe you've been living with this for these past years, you're very strong Harry, if they had taken Ron from me for three years I would've gone barmy."

"I have to be strong, for him, for when this is all over and when we get to be together again," he explained. "You have no idea how much it hurts Hermy, how much it scares me that he might get caught at any moment. If Voldemort ever finds out about this he'll be destroyed and I'd do anything to have him here with me instead of risking his neck out there."

"He's strong too, just like you Harry, don't you worry about it, soon you'll both be together again and this will only seem like a bad dream," Hermione reassured him stroking his hair fondly.

Harry closed his eyes and felt himself drowsy once more, he smiled at Hermione briefly and soon after fell asleep, this time a natural and non-potion related one. He dreamt of peace and Draco but knew it was a dream as soon as it started; it was too good to be true after all.

…_tbc_…


	5. Part V

**Disclaimer: JKR (a muse to us all) owns all the characters and so on and so forth, I obviously am not gaining anything and don't intend to!**

**A/N: **Might take me a whil to post again, much school owrk to do and all that.

**-/-**

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Part V**

He was angry, well angry couldn't quite describe it, but for now it would have to do. Harry scrambled through the maze-like corridors, moving stairways, annoying poltergeists, ghosts who could bore him to death with their chit chat and everything else that the Headmaster was currently throwing at him so that he'd get sidetracked from his current mission. But as afore mentioned he was a man on a mission, a mission to painfully hurt a white bearded, lemon drop lover, crazy old coot. That's Dumbledore if anyone's wondering.

Harry was muttering under his breath almost passing by his obstacles unnoticed. Almost that is. And that was just ammunition to yell at Dumbledore for a few more minutes than he expected at first. But he had to give it to the man, when he tried to distract someone he really _tried_. Thankfully he only tried, because he wasn't stopping Harry; not even a herd of outraged and rabid Hippogriffs would stop him now.

He reached the Gargoyle's who didn't even hear the password properly before jumping aside and glad to see Harry's back moving up the staircase and away from him. Harry bolted through the door to see Dumbledore sucking on a particularly big lemon drop and smiling with grandfatherly eyes towards him. Harry pictured him whistling, looking around and twirling his thumps.

That old fool had lied to him, tricked him into staying in the castle. POISONED HIM! Alright, poisoned was too harsh a word, but still, lacing his pumpkin juice with a sleeping draft was such a low blow one would not suspect it coming from Albus Dumbledore. And from what Ron had told him he had lied about Draco's supposed lack of participation, because Draco had been there. And his own best friend has hexed him to hell and back from what Harry heard.

Dumbledore didn't know what would hit him that's for sure, that manipulating arsewhole always putting other people in jeopardy in order to achieve what he wanted. It frustrated Harry to no end and he was going to put a stop at it once and for all, at least where he was concerned. Not that he knew exactly how he was going to do it, but details could be figured out later. Harry walked only to stop in front of Dumbledore's office desk, glaring down at the headmaster.

"What exactly did you think you were doing eh old man?" Harry said with a low tone.

"Whatever are you talking about Harry m'boy?" Albus shot back looking like a little innocent lamb for the entire world to see.

"Don't you give me that crap Dumbledore! Why did you put me to sleep? Why didn't I go into battle with the others?"

"Because you are supposed to be training to kill Tom and I knew he wouldn't take part in the attack," Dumbledore explained as if that was a completely plausible answer. "Harry I do not regret having made this decision

"Because of you Draco is hurt! You lied! He took part in the attack after all and Ron hexed him," Harry said angrily. "I wasn't there to protect him!"

"Harry you couldn't have done anything if you'd had helped Draco his cover would've been blown," Dumbledore said patiently.

"I don't give a rat's arse to Draco's cover I want him here, safe with me," Harry cried. "Look this is taking me nowhere, I'll just continue training and you keep on coming up with excuses that'll let me stay away from the attacks. I'll be you're perfect little puppet Dumbledore after all that's what you want isn't it."

Harry stalked angrily from the Headmaster's office banging the door shut in his wake. He made his way through the corridors and anyone who came across him soon scattered out of the way, mostly everyone in the castle knew Harry had a terrible temper, but lately he had been more moody than angry.

Unfortunately he crossed paths with one of the few people who would not run away from his temper. This person was too quite famous for a fiery temper and Harry had the bad luck to actually crash into her while he stormed through the corridors and to his room.

"Harry James Potter watch where you're going will you!"

"Jump out of the way next time," Harry snapped. Harry circled around the redhead but she stopped him from moving. "Get out of my way Ginny."

"Do you think you can boss me around just because you're some kind of hero around here?" Ginny asked heatedly, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes now MOVE!" Harry wasn't even sure of what she had spoken but he needed to blow something up soon and Ginny wasn't making any easier.

"What's your problem Harry?" she asked coldly.

"You are, now would you _please_ get out of the way," Harry said waspishly.

He continued stalking down the hall leaving Ginny, who was stunned in place, behind him. He went up two flights of moving stairs, rounded the corner and barked the password to Salazar Slytherin's statue. His room was dark but after living in the castle for years he knew his way well around, he walking around the small common area and into his bedroom.

The dark room seemed uninviting like never before he wanted to be able to fly again, but since the castle became home for families of refugees flying had been forbidden, it was too dangerous to fly around, but he missed flying his Firebolt so, there was nothing like the feeling of freedom that flying could give you, feeling that he could only experience when flying, never in his life did he feel free his life has always been on the hands of others but with flying it was just you and no one else.

In a fit of rage Harry sent all that was atop of his mantle piece crashing to the floor, the breaking of china and glass could be heard and Floo powder was flying everywhere, he quickly knelt by the broken frames of photographs that found home on his mantle. A picture taken of Draco and him by the grounds lay there, between its broken frames, but otherwise unscathed. He picked it up smiling as he remembered the day Colin had pleaded to take a picture of them, Draco had loved the idea but he had been a little apprehensive. Colin had died not long ago in battle, along with Moody and a few others Harry hadn't properly known; Dennis Crevey has never been the same since.

He pushed those thoughts away, thinking about the dead wouldn't help in anything, wouldn't do him any good, it was almost time for lunch but Harry didn't feel hungry in the slightest, thinking that it'd be better for him to distract his mind with some reading he took a book on the war against Gridewald from his bedside table, lighting up the fireplace in the common area and lay down on the couch, it didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Harry Potter's rooms were one of the most well guarded rooms, by the simple fact that all of his passwords were spoken in pasteltongue. Harry always set his password in pasteltongue since the founder spoke it quite well. Unfortunately there were few people who still had to somehow gain acceptance into his rooms, but several spells and wards later that was manageable. One of the few who had unrestricted (a polite sort of unrestricted of course) access to his rooms were Hermione Granger and she entered it to find her friend sleeping curled up in the couch, a book fallen on the floor and an old photograph snuggled against his chest.

She smiled glad that Harry could rest, from what she had learned over the few hours he had every reason not to be able to. She pried the picture from his chest to find out it was one of Draco and him, she could remember asking him several times before why he had kept the picture of the boy who had betrayed him, Ron asked incessantly too, but Harry never answered them and now she understood why. She wondered if it would be best leave him sleep, but Harry had to do some damage control urgently or else there'd be hell to pay.

"Harry, Harry you've got to wake up," she whispered shaking his lightly by the shoulder.

He stirred and his eyes blinked open several times before focusing on Hermione's face. He propped himself by his elbows looking around in slumber confusion.

"I'm sorry to wake you up Harry, you seemed to be in need of sleep," she said sympathetically. "But I'd like to know why a hysterical Ginny who doesn't seem to be able to stop crying can be found in my rooms?"

"Bugger," he said rubbing the cranks of his neck. "I'd forgotten about that, how is she?"

"I told you already, she's hysterical, she was scaring Nathan, I had leave him with Molly on the way down here," she said patiently. "Care to explain what happened?"

"Ginny didn't tell you then?"

Hermione laughed and made herself comfortable by Harry's side. His story better be good because Ron made her come all the way to Harry's rooms, which were very far from her own might she add.

"Harry must I repeat that she is hysterical, all I could understand in between her sobs were 'Harry'… 'rude' … 'bloody idiot' and I wasn't capable of understanding the whole story from these few words."

"Yes well, I was a bit rude, but really Dumbledore had just severely pissed me off and well…" he carried away looking at Hermione helplessly. Hermione for her part looked a bit helpless herself, Harry had explained nothing, Harry caught onto this though and started explaining, "I had a massive fight with Dumbledore because of the attack and I was angry, very, very angry. Anyway, I was making my way back here and without meaning too stumbled into Ginny, that girl has a temper of a of hundred angry Hippogriffs, she started yelling at me I yelled back, came back here and fell asleep."

"Do you remember what you said to her?" Harry shook his head; he had been so angry at the time that he couldn't possibly remember what it was said. "Harry you have to be careful with what you say to her, you know that she still has a little crush on you."

"And you didn't help with that at all when you tried to push her to me did you Hermione," Harry said scoffing. She had the dignity to look sheepish at least.

"I'm sorry but I didn't know the truth about you and Malfoy then, I thought you had an obsession on a Death Eater then."

Harry shook his head feeling flustered, girls could be so sentimentalists and unable to understand. They were in the middle of war and Ginny was locked inside a room crying because he bumped into her, really now he knew why he liked Draco, he would never be able to understand women.

"Look I'll go up to your room and apologize later and I'll talk with Ron too because he probably wants my head for this," Harry said tiredly. "I have some research to do but I'll be glad for the company if you want to stay."

"I can't I have to get Nathan and try to calm Ginny down, but I might come down later Nathan wants to see you badly," she said moving towards the door. Harry nodded dismissively getting the fallen book from the floor and putting him on the coffee table.

Harry was looking for any special spells that would aid them in this fight in the ancient tomes he had stumbled upon. He had been wandering the castle to find out that there was an old forgotten library on the lower levels; it held ancient dusty books that certainly no one had ever seen in years. If Madam Pince hadn't fled the school she would've been delighted to find such books. He tried reading through them and did find many interesting things but until now nothing that could help them whatsoever.

He was almost through his third book when his door burst open, hitting the wall behind it forcefully, and a little red haired ball of energy rushed in and into his lap. Nathan started terrorizing everyone from the day he learned to crawl, Harry believed that the Twins had been just like him when kids.

"Nate, it's been a long time since you visited your Uncle Harry," Harry said waving his finger sternly. "Hi Herm' is everything okay now?"

"Everything under control, although I'd suggested making yourself scarce whenever Ginny is near for some time," she explained conspiratorially.

"Will do ma'am, now kiddo tell me what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?" Harry asked almost immediately realizing he shouldn't have said that.

Harry fell in his bed later that day completely exhausted, his godson hadn't stopped long enough for Harry to even catch his breath. The little Weasley had run out and about and almost destroyed some of his most precious possessions, which he tried to hide inside his own bedroom. Once tucked into his own warm and comfortable bed Harry passed out waiting for the nightmares that usually plagued him to come to him.


	6. Part VI

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Part VI**

Harry opened his eyes but quickly shielded them against the light; apparently he had been wakened by the light that now poured through his opened bed hangings. He stifled a groan; it was most annoying waking up in such manner. He tried to turn away from the source of his annoyance but found something hard which stopped him from doing so properly. His eyes shot open once more, ignoring the stinging light, and he looked down at the warm body pressed closely to his own. Its owner's blond head was, looked – seemed, very familiar to him.

"Draco!" he exclaimed happily in a disbelieving tone. "When did you get here? Actually it doesn't matter, I'm so glad you're here love," Harry murmured bringing his lips to Draco's fair neck and trying to get reacquainted to it.

"Hmm, good morning to you too Harry, I just might stay away from you more often if it means waking up like this when I come back."

"Don't even think of it, you don't have to stay away from me to wake up like this," Harry said quickly, kissing the blond head underneath his. "I'm glad you're back. I love you."

"I love you too Potter" Draco said affectionately. "And for the record, I'm more than glad to be back."

"But what are you doing here?"

"Voldemort found out about us Harry, he found out that I was the spy, thankfully I heard him talking to some other Death Eaters about capturing me properly once he called the next meeting. He felt sure I wasn't going to escape and he said he'd do the most gruesome things to me Harry. I was scared senseless," Draco explained shivering. Harry knew it must be serious, because Draco rarely told him such things. "I ran away as fast as I could without being overheard and came here."

"I'm glad you're safe then and that you found your way back to me," Harry said happily nuzzling his lover's hair and making his way down the jaw he knew so well dropping kisses on his wake. He inhaled deeply trying to memorize the smell of his lover, his heart soared when he realized the scent had somehow guarded itself inside Harry's mind because he recognized it now as if he had never been apart from it. His mouth made its home at Draco's neck, nibbling and biting and giving it a mark of his own.

"I'm glad too Harry," Draco said, sighing and giving into Harry's caresses. "I love you, I'll love you forever."

Harry jolted away from his bed, looking around rapidly trying to calm the heart drumming against his ribcage. He was alone in his room; the spot beside him on the large four-poster bed was empty. As it had been for the past five years. It had been The Dream; meaning today must be the fifth of June. Draco's birthday. Like clockwork, every year at his birthday he had _that _dream about him, or anything extremely close to _that _dream. But Draco wasn't back and would never be back from what he figured.

He fell back into his bed and closed his eyes taking deep breaths and asking for strength to continue that day, because as always it sure as hell wouldn't be easy. Thankfully, now that Hermione knew, people wouldn't be trying to talk him out of his stupor. It had been extremely uncomfortable, under the past years, to listen to Ron rant at him for being so bloody stupid as still loved the Ferret. They argued quite a lot about it before; Harry usually ended those arguments screaming at Ron that he'd give anything in the world to have the Ferret, as he put it, back.

Ron never understood how someone could love someone else that much, enough to get past all those faults, look past it all and continue loving almost unconditionally. Harry thought it was a wrong assumption after all Draco was a bloody hero, even if nobody knew about it. But he supposed Ron said something somewhat true, because even if Draco had really turned into a Death Eater he would've loved him still with all the powers he possessed. Loving him wouldn't have stopped Harry from killing him in battle though.

Someone rasped at his door quite insistently, several times, dragging Harry away from his jumble of thoughts. He thought savagely about ignoring the incessant knocking and return deep inside his mattress and throw and pillows, where he would return to sleep and possibly dream of Draco somehow. Perhaps the person outside his door seemed to sense that because the knocks continued, although more leisurely now.

"I'm up! I'm going, calm down already," Harry muttered angrily dragging himself from bed and putting on a shirt as he made way to the door.

He opened the door a frown in place before he could even access who it was, nobody who was making him leave his sanctuary today deserved any kindness of his part. And that certainly, MOST certainly, did include the man that now stood on the other side of his door.

"Professor Snape is there something you'd like?" Harry rasped, his throat dry from sleep.

"No Potter, but the Headmaster apparently does, he wishes to see you on his office once you've had your breakfast." Harry blinked at him; he had been screaming to the face of the bearded man the night before and now he wanted to talk to Harry, some times he just abhorred Albus Dumbledore. "Put some decent clothes and drag your skinny arse up there Potter, or is there something you do not understand from the message I just gave you," Snape said angrily in his usual sarcastic tone when Harry refrained from answering him.

Today of all days Harry wasn't about to care for whatever words Snape threw his way, there were much more troublesome thoughts in his mind for him to give much though about the nonsense Snape usually spouted.

"Didn't realize you had become the Headmaster's personal delivery _owl _Severus," Harry drawled. Draco would've been proud, most certainly. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to put some decent clothes on my skinny arse and drag it up to see our most lovable and omnipotent Headmaster." He proceeded to shut the door closed on the Potions Master face, very forcefully.

He was certain Snape would spent the next half hour in his front door waiting for the moment where Harry would be off on his way to the Great Hall and then, the Potions master would proceed to scold the skin out of him. No had ever closed a door on his face. There was always a first time for everything, Harry thought rather gleefully and took his time having a bath and choosing the robe he'd wear today.

He was in a much better mood after annoying the hell out of Snape, unfortunately his improved mood wasn't very noticeable. He used a secret password to sidestep the Potions Master that seemed to be leering at his door; and, still scowling, made his way to the Headmaster's office without having so much as a bite to eat. He had discovered early on that it was much better to face Albus Dumbledore with an empty stomach, because most of the time you were in for a great deal of surprised when up there.

Thankfully most of the castle's occupants were having breakfast with their families and Harry didn't have to talk idly with anyone on the way. He wanted to get the conversation started and over rather rapidly so that he could return to his private rooms and sulk for the rest of the day, possibly the rest of the week. The sun was already blazing outside and he was thankful that summer was only starting, because mostly everyone would be outside enjoying the sun and the hallways would be still most thankfully empty after his meeting. At least he dearly hoped it would.

He quietly spoke the password to the ever watchful gargoyles he had learned to mistrust and cast a certain extent dislike. When he thought back, it had been few times in which he had come to the Headmaster's office to receive dire news, or to delivery them. Yes, even if everyone associated it with the rather strange object that tittered and whirled around, Harry treated his visits with caution knowing rarely anything good could be expected out of them.

"Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" Harry asked as he put his head through the crack of the door.

He remembered as well, with certain fondness of his once naivety, that he used to sweat and become most nervous when he visited right after the fights and yelling matches he tried to initiate with the Headmaster. Right now he wanted nothing more that to hide under his bed because for other reasons entirely. The Headmaster had stopped scaring him when he realized he wasn't, but really wasn't, a child anymore, when his mind suddenly processed the fact that he'd either kill or be killed not only by Voldemort but by any other creature that would cross his path.

Dumbledore wrote on a few pieces of parchment before setting them aside, "Yes I did Harry, although I expected you to drop by a bit later." Dumbledore smiled tiredly; Harry thought he certainly looked his age nowadays, well he himself looked twenty years his senior because of his damned preoccupations.

"Professor Snape made it sound like it was rather urgent actually, and I wasn't in desperate need of food," Harry explained himself, falling into their usual routine, even if he didn't have to.

Dumbledore glanced briefly on the small muggle calendar he had at his desk, Harry remembered it vividly because it was the most normal looking thing in the entire office and as such made it stand out even more so than the others. The wizened man turned his wrinkled eyes towards Harry and they seemed a tad wearier than they had been a moment ago. Perhaps he too knew what day was today.

"I asked you to come here to apologize Harry, I did what I thought best, still think it was the best plan of action, but it was not my intention to make you angry at me." Harry stiffened, he didn't know what to think and didn't know if he wanted to believe that Dumbledore's words were actually sincere. "I admit I planned to keep you from battle from the beginning but I did not know for sure that Draco would be attending. He himself believed he would not, even if I had my doubts, but it was his beliefs that were passed on to you."

"I'm confused Albus, what exactly to you want me to say?"

"Nothing other than the truth my boy," the old man said holding his war-worn gaze against Harry's pain filled one.

"Well, the truth it is then, I'm not prepared to forgive you just yet, but for what is worth I actually believe what you said. But the next time you wanted me to stay away from a battle you say so don't dope me up without my consent," Harry said sternly.

"If you wish it." Dumbledore looked pensive for a few moments. "Indulge this old man, what would you have done if I told you that I wanted for you to stay back and let the others go into battle?"

"I –" Harry blushed hotly and let his head hang low instead of speaking. Harry without a doubt would've gone fighting whether Dumbledore wanted too or not.

"I see that now you have understood my line of thought at least," Dumbledore commented somewhat amused, "although that is still not an excuse."

"I understand, I think, but please let me fight next time I hate feeling like this, as if I've done nothing to help," Harry said as his blush receded.

"Don't worry Harry," Dumbledore said with a low tone and a sigh, "I do not think this war is very far from ending. I'm not sure if I feel glad or scared by such thought."

"I understand what you mean Headmaster," Harry said pointing at his scar. "He seems to be restless these days, I just hope the worst doesn't come of it."

"My sentiments exactly Harry, now I believe most are indulging themselves with a few hours of sunlight I believe those few hours would do you good as well," Albus said back with his grandfatherly ways.

"It might sir, it might." Harry glanced outside wondering if he should do as the man before him said. "I'll be on my way then."

"Have a good day Harry," he said with a wave. "Oh and Harry, please don't kill yourself with the thoughts of Draco, I'm sure he is doing rather well in his twenty thirtieth third birthday."

"I hope everything is fine sir, or else I'm not sure what would happen to me."

Albus watched the retreating back of his favorite pupil, the young man had grown to have confidence he had not shown at young age but he noticed that Harry's shoulders had a definite slump, possibly the weight of actions he took and was yet to take, Albus knew about those rather well. He truly hoped, just as Harry did, that Draco was indeed safe because the young man that had his back for him now would break in such indescribable way if something happened and Albus wasn't sure he wanted to know the consequences of that.

Harry walked calmly through the Hallways after leaving the Headmaster, wondering what was going on with the world outside. Even during this war he felt somewhat sheltered inside Hogwarts walls. Because he never read the papers when they informed Dumbledore had just wrecked another village, killed another hundred people, he did not see the images of burning corpses and green skulls and snakes up in the air.

London was in shambles, or so he had heard, he hadn't been in London for years. Diagon Alley was no more, completely deserted, although he was fairly certain that Knockturn Alley stood tall and proud for everyone who dared to see it for themselves. The Ministry certainly didn't take care of any minor cases happening and they didn't give second thought to any murders and burglary cases that were not related to Voldemort. It was an utter and complete mess and if they won this he often wondered if they would manage to rebuild everything.

­­­­He pushed away such morbid thoughts, Draco's birthday always brought forth the worst memories and the worse thoughts and he hated so very much to spend this day away from him. He wanted with every fiber of his being for Draco to be active with the Order just like Snape had been, coming and going with caution, but coming and going nonetheless. But this time Dumbledore wasn't taking any chances. No, this time Draco was a complete secret.

He came to a stop when realizing his feet, unconsciously, had taken Dumbledore's word of advice and taken him to the doors that lead outside. Outside where he could hear laughter and water splattering and people having fun and everything at that moment made him extremely nauseous. But he could see Nathan splashing the water around in the distance and he wanted at least once to be part of that.

"Uncle 'Aaaaarry!" Nathan wailed and laughed as soon as Harry had stepped through the doors. Ron and Hermione instantly turned around to look at him inquisitively they both appraised him but refrained from making any kind of comment. Apparently they too knew exactly what day it was and what Harry's mood would be like.

"Hi kiddo you having fun in there?" he called back waving his head at his godson.

"The best time eve' uncle 'Arry! Come and play with us, come in the water," Nathan yelled at the top of his lungs again. Harry knew he had surely inherited powerful lungs from Molly Weasley, who never got a sore throat from all her shouting, although Hermione was known for a powerful voice as well.

Harry stood close to his married best friends, smiling sadly at the little boys and girls playing around them in the water. Many of the children were by the water swimming and playing with Nathan and each other, most parents stood away from them talking in serious hushed tones. Harry hated that all those families had to endure that, hated that all those families had to give up living normally because of the way, but what he hated the most was the fact that it was all mostly his fault. If only he'd hurry up and kill the bloody bastard.

Hermione probably saw the sadness that flitted across his emotions momentarily because she laid a hand on his shoulder giving him a gentle squeeze. Harry forced a grimace of a smile on his face and tried to reassure her without words; it didn't seem to placate her at all. But today most of all he did not wish to discuss the war, discuss war plans and definitely did not want to discuss Draco.

Nathan was still calling for him from the water and the children all around him stared wide eyed that the little Weasley was in speaking terms with the hero of their bedtime stories. Harry motioned for his godson to wait while he transfigured his pants into swimming trunks and handed his shirt to Hermione to hold leaving only a white undershirt. He jumped into the water splashing Nathan who shrieked and started splashing water back at Harry as soon as he came to surface.

"He's great with children isn't he?" Hermione commented to her husband; watching as all the kids clustered around Harry, a genuine smile lightened his face as he made faces and played with them all.

"Yeah, he'd be the best father of all times, it's probably because of those damn Dursley's, a shame he's in love with a Death Eater though," Ron commented watching Harry too.

Hermione's lips twitched and then tightened.

"But he would make a marvelous parent nonetheless; he's very good with children."

Ron looked at her questioningly; he had almost mastered in reading his wife's emotions. But this wasn't one of those times that he could do it, gouge her emotions that is. So he kept his silence, making note of her expression for further investigation of it later. She and Ron sat by the floor until it was too cold for Nathan to remain in the water and called him for bath. Harry himself drew a bath for the Weasley offspring trying to take his mind of the things that often perturbed him, but today more than ever. He. Had. To. Forget.

…_tbc_…


	7. Part VII

A/N: _When I started this fic it was supposed to be a short series. Telling only Harry's and Draco's story, but now it seems to have a mind of its own. It's taking me elsewhere, so it won't only tell our favourite boys story, you'll get a bit of the war and I think it'll be less tiresome to read it this way. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

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**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Part VII**

Harry was taking his lunch in the Great Hall for the first time in a long while; Dumbledore had persuaded him into doing so. Personally he thought he was being right manipulated but if Dumbledore wanted to call it a little persuasion then persuasion it would be called. At least in the old fool's mind. He believed that people needed some kind of reassurance, the kind of reassurance that only came with his presence. Harry thought he brought forth much more fear than reassurance from the gasps he heard once he set foot on the Great Hall, but if Dumbledore once again wanted to tweak the words just a bit it was his calling.

He was sitting with most of the Weasley's, although Ginny seemed to have decided to change tables' right that day. She sat with Dean and old Gryffindors but Harry didn't pay much attention to her, or them. His nephew sat by his side and around him the clan that grew everyday. The family he had learned to call his own, he knew though that there wasn't any other place he belonged more than in Draco's arms and that Draco Malfoy was the only family Harry needed. But he wasn't there and the Boy Who Lived had to make do with what he had, which he realized was a lot.

"Harry dear would you pass me the asparagus?" That and other mindless questions were the only sounds he heard from everyone about the table. Apparently during such dark times talking didn't happen much around the table.

"I have to do some stuff around London, how'd you like to come with me mate?" Ron questioned just as dinner was coming to an end.

Harry thought, or rather he knew, it was a bad idea to leave the castle but he needed a change of scenery as badly as anything else and if he didn't intend to stay long certainly no one would mind. Ignoring Hermione's and Molly's cautious glares he nodded his consent at his best friend.

So that same afternoon not much before it was ought to get dark Harry and Ron Apparated to London to find a letter of sorts, as Ron had explained to him earlier. They boy wore black muggle clothing in order to blend in with the crowd and the darkness that would soon set on them. They had appeared in a deserted alley, ugly and dirty. Ron poked his head out and made his way calmly across the street and into a coffee shop.

"What exactly is this letter about Ron?" Harry had whispered once they had ordered a cup of tea and an espresso.

Ron leaned forward and looked around rapidly, then motioned for Harry to do the same. Harry particularly thought this motion was bound to seem more suspicious than anything else but he leaned in like his best friend asked. He desperately tried not to think of the muggle saying 'curiosity killed the cat'.

"There's an alley, not the one where we Apparated in, it another one, just down the street and my spy usually keeps his discoveries hidden behind a rubbish bin on a cardboard box and once a month I come down here to see if he's left anything new," Ron explained, as he sipped the tea that had just arrived.

"A spy, you're in contact with a Death Eater and know one saw fit to ever inform me?" Harry asked cautiously not wanting to set Ron off, his friend was known to have a temper worst than his after all.

"No, no, those kinds of spies Dumbledore deals with them himself, this one is spying on the ministry. You know we've been careful with the ministry, wanting to know who's on whose side; it's been hard finding this kind of information. But several members of the Order have spies inside the ministry or spy themselves as you well know."

Harry smiled briefly thinking of Tonks and many others that actually did do that.

"But you're telling me all this now?"

"Dumbledore asked me to actually," Ron explained looking sheepish. 'I don't know why, told me you'd better know what was going on around you now."

Harry leaned back on his chair and kept quiet mulling over all real possibilities as to why Dumbledore deemed important for him to know of this. He couldn't find many, other than the reason which Ron had given him. But perhaps it was something else, perhaps he wanted to accompany Ron to protect him, but that didn't seem right, because Dumbledore would never put the Boy-Who-Lived in danger just because his beast friend was.

"Ron do you know why Dumbledore really wanted me to know all this?"

"Not really, I suspect he was telling me the truth actually."

"Do you think you're in any kind of danger, Death Eater-like I mean?'' he asked curiously watching Ron closely for his reaction.

"Nah, I don't think so. The Death Eaters are much more worried in spying the Order than wanting information from inside the Ministry, after all they have more spies inside than we do," he explained and Harry could do nothing but agree. Voldemort certainly had plenty spies in the Ministry, he wouldn't worry about what the Order knew.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right mate."

They waited another half hour, ordering some muffins and more tea for Ron; and when dark enough they left to the Alley stealthily making their way through the shadows. It was dark and Harry couldn't see properly, but no one seemed to be around and he assumed that it would be safe to collect whatever they were there to collect, and leave for Hogwarts quickly.

Harry look around suspiciously once more, a can rolled out from the shadows and Harry trained his wand at the dark corner into a possible unseen enemy, but a cat ran out from where the can had left a second later and Harry was able to breathe again.

"Hurry up with whatever it is your doing here Ron, I think we should better head back to Hogwarts," Harry whispered to his friend.

Ron nodded, warily looking at the dark corner where the can and cat had come out off and back to a small box tucked neatly behind one of the trash cans. Harry supposed it was where Ron's contact seemed to hide the information. The redhead nodded in some sort of confirmation to himself and Harry dreadfully wondered if whoever was Ron's contact could be trusted at all, because for Harry it certainly didn't seem that way.

Ron opened the lid carefully and did some sort of spell; Harry was certain he was checking for any kind of curses, well better safe than sorry. But then – CRACK!

Ron stood up and whirled around looking around him, with his wand drown out, Harry too whirled around looking the determined hero he was. They were surrounded. More wizards than they both could count formed a circle around the couple of them, all their wands drown out as well pointed to either Ron's or Harry's hearts. They were doomed, harry and Ron stood no chance against these white robbed figures. Their white robes –

"Aurors?" Harry questioned loudly, to no one in particular actually.

Ron threw him a pained look but said nothing. Aurors filled every corner of the small Alley, with their white robe uniforms and goggles and Harry wanted to ask any of them if they were expecting much fighting out of him and Ron. He could see Kingsley, Tonks and Moody (who had just returned to their ranks) in the front row of wizards that surrounded them. They all looked apologetic, apart from Kingsley who gave forth no emotion as always.

"What's going on here?" Harry questioned loudly. His voice commanded attention, or so Hermione would've told him, because Harry didn't quite understand that it did so.

"We are sorry you were caught up in the middle of this Mr. Potter," someone he did not know said to him. A petite girl, no more than thirty, was standing before them and Harry noticed her hand was shaking. "But we are under orders. Ronald Weasley you are under arrest for crimes against the Ministry of Magic and the Crown, within these accusations is spying and conspiring against aforementioned Ministry."

Ron paled considerably and Harry could barely see his freckles, he ogled his friend then ogled the Aurors. They had gone completely insane.

"WHAT?" he shouted outraged. "You should be out there fighting Voldemort – 'half the crowd flinched' – oh for heaven's sake you are Aurors you aren't supposed to be scared of him! And neither are you supposed to be imprisoning innocent ORDER MEMBERS!"

The girl who had spoke before quivered but stepped forward, apparently she had been chosen to speak for the group. Harry was sure they had picked sticks to choose the lucky spokesperson-auror, because she didn't seem too inclined in speaking and neither in approaching them.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter but these are orders from the Head of the Department, Rufus Scrimgeour, we have to abide to them," she said and took another cautious step, but not towards Harry, towards Ron.

What he didn't understand though was why Ron being taken and not him, his eyes found Mad-Eye who certainly knew what was going on. But Moody's normal eye clearly told him not to address them because probably then he'd be in trouble as well. Harry assumed he wasn't being taken simply because he was Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived even if _that _hadn't stopped them a few years ago when he was only fifteen.

Ron was cuffed, with magical ropes Harry had never seen before, his wand taken and with another apologetic look from Tonks they all Disapparated together. The girl he had spoken too had stayed behind though, and she seemed intent on talking to him again, Harry didn't know if he wanted to kill her or if he felt sorry for her.

"You will be called to testify when we set a date for Mr. Weasley's trial," she said with a rush before collecting the box Ron had been holding and leaving as well, certainly wanting to get away from an irate Harry Potter as fast as she could.

He was confused and dazed, it all had happened in a blink of the eye but Harry still wasn't quite sure what had happened. He wasn't quite sure what he'd tell Hermione as well, but he knew she would freak, have a fit and storm to the Ministries holding cells in search of her husband afterwards. That thought made him want to ignore the nagging voice that told him to return to the castle.

The dark alley seemed darker and more frightening than it had before, now that Harry found himself alone. It was too dark, too deserted and strangely quiet, much to quiet. Before something happened to him as well, he Apparated to the earthy road that lead to Hogwarts and set in a trot towards the castle that had once been his school.

The walk through the muddy road had never been as depressing as before. He now had lost his friend too for this stupid war. First Draco and then Ron. Neither had died but worrying himself sick about what could be happening to either of them seemed even worse. He often wondered if he'd ever see Draco before all this was over, and now he started wondering about ever seeing Ron again too.

He had heard from Moody that this Rufus character was shifty; he was a good Head of Department but had captured ridiculously innocent people for sake of appearances. The lady who drove the food trolley at the Hogwarts Express had been sent to jail, he'd learned a while back, because she was suspected to Death Eater activity. The poor old woman could barely carry her trolley let alone join Voldemort. Everyone had been stunned when they had heard that news.

Rufus seemed intent in putting people who worked with Dumbledore behind bars. Even if the entire wizarding community knew that if they had a chance in winning this war it was through Dumbledore and his Order. Rufus acted just as Crouch Senior did, back in the first part of this never ending war. He, like any others, thought the Ministry should take care of the war entirely on their own.

Suddenly the enchanted wooden doors were upon him and Harry dreaded going inside like he never had happened before. He dreaded what he'd meet behind those doors, he wondered if Tonks or the others had already managed to send word of what had happened in London. But scarcely twenty minutes had past by and Scrimgeour had certainly put them back to work straight away, once they had returned, wanting to catch another poor unsuspecting person who had nothing to do with Voldemort, or spying, or the war in general.

He slipped inside unnoticed and before heading to Ron's quarters he set off to find the headmaster. He needed to inform him what had transpired at the alley and inform him that the papers inside the box had been taken by the Aurors along with Ron. How a quiet night with his best friend in London had turned into his whole spectacle Harry did not know, but they had to fix it quite soon.

Ron was a master strategist, years of playing and winning at chess had made him so, and without him Harry wasn't sure if they could do much against Death Eaters. Of course Dumbledore, and even Snape, were extremely good at strategy too, but they had too much on their plates as it is. Dumbledore had too manage the whole Order, and Snape had too run about after old contacts of his.

Harry was in front of the Gargoyle's within minutes and knocking down Dumbledore's door not much after that. A weary voice called him inside, and Harry could see the tired worn face peering at him through his half-moon specs. Remus was occupying one of the other stuffed armchairs and so was Snape. Harry would've felt uncomfortable if he there hadn't been such a need to tell them what had happened.

"Albus I'm sorry to interrupt," he panted out holding onto his aching ribs.

"Yes well, at least you are aware that you've interrupted us," Snape snarled out in his usual Snape-ish way, Harry was all those used with his antics. "Now get on with it boy, we're in the middle of an important meeting."

"Ron's been captured!" he yelled in frustration, wanting to shut the man up.

As expected that caught everyone's attention in less than a nanosecond. Snape and Lupin practically jumped out of their chairs and stared at him as if they were hearing things. Dumbledore though, leaned back in his, closing his eyes and pinching his nose. Harry rarely saw him show so much emotion.

"And the package?" he questioned lightly.

"Package? My best friend's been captured and you're worried about a flimsy package!" Harry raged at the older man. Dumbledore gave him a rather tolerating look. "It's been taken with him." The older man was pinching his nose again.

"So Ron's been captured my Death Eaters," Remus said sitting once again, Snape started pacing around the room at this point.

Harry looked at him surprised; he had thought Remus knew that Ron had been doing before. Dumbledore opened him eyes then, and looked at Harry as if reading him. He probably did quite a thorough search, because Dumbledore could often read him like an open children's book. He turned to Remus with a perturbed smile on his wrinkled face.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Weasley has been captured by the Ministry of Magic."

"What?" Snape said in an outburst, returning to the conversation. "What in the world is the Ministry doing capturing Weasley for? Has Fudge gone mad?"

"I believe this doesn't seem like Fudge's work, he's rather afraid of Molly Weasley's temper; no, no, this seems like the works of Rufus Scrimgeour," Dumbledore said breathing heavily through his nose; apparently Dumbledore did not like the Head of Auror Department very much.

"Scrimgeour? Why of course, he's been going crazy since this all started, putting anyone he can in jail simply because he can. We have to do something Albus, we need Ron in the castle and imagine how Hermione will be when she finds out about this," Remus said looking pensive; Harry hoped he'd be able to find a solution.

"I was with him though, why didn't they capture me?"

Snape looked at him as if he were stupid. "Harry I'll take the obvious way on this question, you are Harry Potter the public would go mad if you were to be arrested," Remus said. Dumbledore nodded agreeing with him.

There was silence for the next ten minutes, each occupant of the room searching their minds for a solution. Ron was much needed, enough for even Snape to care where the man was. Dumbledore suddenly stood up with a rare bright smile gracing his features, he moved around the room looking for that special parchment he used to communicate with Order members and a feather of Fawkes' that he used to write in it. Harry knew about those because he had seen Dumbledore do it often, he had received a few letters written in said paper before as well.

He wrote hastily and Harry had to stop himself from craning his neck forward to be able to see what he was writing, knowing it was futile to do so because those words were spelled to read for only two people. Those were Dumbledore and whoever he sent the letter too, but Harry didn't know who that might be tonight.

With the letter finished and given to Fawkes' Albus turned his attention to the room's occupants once more. He opened his mouth to address them, but the door was thrown open before he could speak.

"Where is he? Where is Ron?"

Harry whirled around to face the door, his eyes wide and his feet rooted to the floor.

…_tbc…_

* * *

_I ask you to review, your thoughts are always very important, it helps in writing the story actually._

_The next chapter has already been written so you won't have to wait too long for it._


	8. Part IIX

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Chapter IIX**

"Mrs. Weasley, if you'd just sit," Dumbledore said calmly.

Remus noticed that Harry wasn't moving, and he stepped forward holding Hermione by the elbow and steered her to the armchair Harry had been sitting on so far. Once sat, she sagged; perhaps the force that had brought her this far had now dissipated, Hermione looked dead on her feet with worry. Harry noticed age lines that hadn't been there before now were, and quite pronounced.

"I was watching the map, waiting for them to return, and saw when Harry stepped foot inside the castle," she explained without having been asked too. Perhaps speaking was what would keep her going for the moment. "I – I thought that maybe Ron had fallen behind a bit so I waited but he never did show up and I noticed how Harry hurried towards your office sir, that must mean something's wrong and I need to know if Ron is alright. I need too," she ended pleading, Hermione rarely pleaded for anything in her life; in a way she was just like Draco, she had whatever she wanted only she didn't grab it as forcefully as he did.

"Hermione I myself have just found out what has happened to your husband, perhaps it would be best if Harry explained everything to us all, properly this time," Dumbledore said, and Harry wondered if he didn't want to take _that _responsibility out of his shoulders and into Harry's.

"He's been arrested by Aurors," he explained. Hermione looked a little more relieved. "Their holding him in those jails inside the Ministry of Magic, he's been accused of spying and conspiring against the Ministry. And the problem is that if you look at it properly it's quite true. He has been spying on them, Moody motioned or me not to say anything while they were there, we best wait for him, Tonks and Kingsley to return because they'll know the details."

Hermione nodded slowly, Harry could sense that she was trying to take in everything that had happened, especially the fact that her husband had just been arrested for spying of all things. She slumped back into the chair, and Harry who was standing behind her, rubbed her shoulders in support.

"Maybe it would be best for us to sleep for today, we'll meet tomorrow morning and discuss this properly. I'll send note to our three Auror friends and they'll be here to give us better details on Mr. Weasley's arrest."

Harry nodded wearily and hugged Hermione by the shoulders leading her away. On their way out he noticed a painting covered with red curtains in Dumbledore's anti-chamber, he was certain it hadn't been there the week before. Ron's situation was more important than a covered up curtain though, and he led Hermione to her own quarters through the various short-cuts he had learned during all his years at Hogwarts.

"Hermione maybe it would be best to leave Nathan with Molly for a bit, than you'll have some time to yourself," he said once they got to her door. Hermione nodded but no word seemed forthcoming.

"Nathan!" he called out for the child, it didn't take long for him to stumble out of his room holding a scarlet toy train. "Nate come with Uncle Harry, you'll be spending some time with Grandma Molly."

Hermione hugged her son tightly on her way to the bathroom. Harry gathered Nathan in his arms and was out the room making his way to the Weasleys' Den, as they called it, just three doors away from the Gryffindor Tower. Most of the Weasley's still lived together, their patriarchs, Ginny, Charlie, and the Twins. Bill had married off with a co-worker of his, which Harry rarely saw. Ron and Hermione had a room of their own.

He took his time taking Nathan there; he didn't want to scare off the little boy, neither did he want Nathan to realize something was going on. The boy was oddly perceptive as it is, it was no good in letting him find out his father had gone missing and his mother would go insane if he didn't come back soon.

"Is mummy alright Uncle Harry?" came the quiet voice that took Harry away from his own thoughts.

"She's a bit worried, because Headmaster Dumbledore sent your daddy on a very important mission," Harry explained the best he could without lying much. "Daddy's been to missions before; you remember what those are don't you?" Nathan nodded somberly. "He'll be back soon Nate and mummy will be better then." The young Weasley nodded once more but didn't seem much convinced.

Harry rapped him knuckles on the Weasley's door and it was Ginny who opened it. A fierce scowl graced her face once she saw who it was at the door; this same scowl disappeared as soon as she studied Harry's pained expression. She opened said door wider to let him pass and as soon as Nathan was on the floor he ran away in search of a few toys he always left behind.

"Harry what's wrong?" she asked him quietly.

"Is everyone here?" he questioned and she told him that yes, they all were. "Call them for me Gin', we need to talk."

Soon Molly and Arthur had come through their bedroom door, looking a little tired both of them, Charlie and the Twins followed but they were wide awake and looking extremely worried already. Harry had been waiting on the couch, his head in his hands and eyes tightly closed.

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his position and he looked around to find everyone looking at him expectantly. Molly looked worried sick now and he wanted to reassure her everything was fine, even if that would be a lie. He placed a spell around Nathan preventing him from listening in their conversation.

"It's Ron," he said finally. "He's been captured by Scrimgeour." With those words molly sat heavily on the closed piece of furniture she could find. Charlie, Arthur and the twins had the same pained expression as Harry's, Ginny sat by her mother on the couch.

"Captured? But what are they capturing him for? They should be going after Death Eaters!" Molly expressed everyone's sentiments in those little words.

"Yes they should, but you don't know how frantic the Ministry is these days dear, their in a frenzy going after anyone or any_thing _suspicious. Scrimgeour takes particular taste in catching Order members, just to set us back," Mr. Weasley tried to explain to his wife.

"Is there anything for us to do Harry?" the Weasleys questioned in unison.

"Not right now, I'll be meeting with the some of the Aurors who were present when Ron was arrested and then we'll start working on something," he said. "He'll have a trial we can try to set him free legally."

"I'll contact Bill then, he was always very good with the legal side of things," Charlie said setting to his bedroom certainly to write Bill a letter.

"Who was Ron's contact do you know Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked.

The older man scrunched his face, Harry wondered if it was in irritation, pain or disgust. The Twins had returned to their bedroom as well, leaving only Harry, Molly, Arthur and Ginny in their small living room.

"Percy," he finally said tersely.

Someone gasped and Harry wasn't sure if it was Molly or Ginny. He would never have thought that Ron was in talking to their brother. He wondered if Percy really had handed Ron in, like Mr. Weasley appeared to be thinking or if he had been found out just like Ron had. He put that aside preferring to think about it later. Arthur took his wife to back to their bedroom with only a nod in Harry's direction, leaving Harry alone with a sobbing Ginny Weasley.

He had never been very good with crying woman, but these days when he himself cried endlessly he thought he could handle them better. Better than he had handled Cho at least, then he hadn't known what to do; now he knew that it would be best if he just shut up and hug Ginny tightly.

As soon as he had his arms around her Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed in his shoulders shaking with the force of each sob. Harry rocked her and rubbed her back but thought better not to talk; he was very good at sticking his foot on his mouth in such situations.

Ginny calmed down after some time and together they put Nathan on her bed, he was asleep in a few minutes. Harry wanted to leave and curl up in a ball on his own bed, but Ginny it seemed had other ideas and offered to make him tea. Harry followed her to their small kitchen as sat o the counter while Ginny, by his side, boiled the water.

"I didn't even know Ron was spying on them," she commented.

"Neither did I actually, I just found out this afternoon. What's worse is the fact that I wasn't arrested with him, they assumed I was caught in the middle of it all," Harry huffed in annoyance. He hated being famous.

"It's just as well that they didn't arrest you Harry, we can't afford to loose Ron. But loosing you is out of question, we'd be lost and Voldemort would choose that exact time to strike, ending this war once and for all."

Harry shrugged, he still hated being famous though.

"I wish I had more control over the Ministry nonetheless, maybe I would've been able to change this situation. I don't know take responsibility over him, anything, we need Ron we can't afford to loose him either," Harry said resignedly. They sat in silence, Harry mulling over everything that had transpired that day.

"Let's not think about Harry," she said handing him his tea.

He stood and joined her by the couch were they watched the dying ambers on the fireplace. Ginny made herself comfortable in Harry's shoulder and he decided that this whole situation was not leading to any direction he'd care to go. He lifted Ginny from his shoulder, informing her that he would best go back to his room because he was dead on his feet.

"Maybe we should all rest," she said a deep frown marring her forehead.

The girl followed him to the door and before Harry could protest move away or do anything really. Ginny pressed her lips insistently against his. Harry gurgled and pushed her away staring at her wide-eyed. He had never met anyone as stubborn and persistent as Ginny Weasley. When would she understand that he _wasn't interested!_

Without speaking a word or looking back he made his way to his rooms where he'd be alone and at peace. That night he slept and dreamt of Draco and how he wished it had been him who had kissed him instead.

He woke up the following day with his alarm clock insistently buzzing on his ear. He didn't know why he had acquired the damn thing, because it annoyed him to hell and he daily thought about smashing him against his wall. He showered and dressed himself mechanically urging his brain not to think about Ron or anything else at all. He knew today would take a great deal out of him and he was postponing it while he could

He ate by Hermione, who ate nothing at all, it was quiet and depressing. If Nathan had been there he would surely notice that something was going on, he was sure the all the castle's occupants now knew that something was going on. Or maybe they thought someone had died overnight, not a rare occurrence during these war times.

"We'd best go to see Dumbledore," Harry said once he noticed the man had not come down to breakfast.

Hermione nodded and they trudged all their way to the Headmaster's office.

"Harry, Hermione, I think we should postpone this meeting until Moody and the others arrive, they had a late night yesterday and I believe they will come by right after lunch," Dumbledore told them instead of any kind of greeting.

"If that's what you wish Headmaster," Harry said sharing a knowing look with Hermione. The Headmaster appeared to want to see the back of them, and quickly.

Harry and Hermione left his office, but by the door they heard the sound of someone flooing in and the Headmaster's voice "Thank you for coming in such short notice, the situation has change and thus so will our plans." But Dumbledore probably sensing them behind his door seemed to put up some wards around his office and they could hear nothing.

"Ginny kissed me," he blurted as they walked together.

"Wh – what?" Hermione startled her eyes wide.

"Yes that was my reaction. I told the Weasley's about Ron yesterday night, suddenly she and I were alone. I tried to escape but she kissed me before I could leave," Harry said in a rush of words glad that he at least had someone to confide in.

"My god I never thought she'd be so bold."

"Yes, well, neither did I, I thought if I could avoid being too close to her I could evade this situation all together but it seems Ginny is a girl on a mission, and she is set on having me as her next conquest."

Hermione giggled then, and it was contagious soon they both was laughing in the middle of a crowded hall. Everyone looked at them questioningly but neither noticed. Once the moment passed Harry smile grateful for being able to laugh even in such dire times.

"Come on you should tell me all about it before we return to the old man's office," Hermione said as she linked their arms and took him towards her rooms.

"What's there to tell, I wanted to run away screaming, I never in all my life expected to think kissing a girl would be gross," he said with a sigh, "but kissing Ginny was just that. I mean I think of the girl as a sister, it would be just like kissing Ron only worse because Ginny's is a _girl_."

"She lack's the proper set of bits doesn't she?" Hermione said giggling.

"What she lack's isn't just _that _set of bits, she lacks _that _personality and _that_ hair and especially _that_ pair of eyes," Harry explained a dreamy smile downing on his face.

"Harry stop it, you look like a teenage girl," Hermione said hitting his arm.

"Well, what am I supposed to do, I still love him."

Hermione couldn't possibly disagree with that, so together and in silence they continued in their way to her rooms. Hermione remembered to stop by and pick up Nathan who looked worried but then relieved once he saw the small smile that graced his mother's face. While there Harry hid from Ginny and stroke up conversation with Fred, ignoring the furtive glances the petite redhead kept sending his way.

Harry almost bolted of the room as soon as Hermione informed him that she was ready and he followed her best friend glared at her while she giggled all the way. Nathan didn't seem to understand what his 'mummy' found so funny.

"Did you see her batting her eyelashes at you?" she said between bolts of laughter. "She's got it as bad as you Harry, watch out or you'll never be rid of her."

"Maybe I should just tell her that I'm quite gay thank you very much," Harry muttered under his breath, ignoring more giggling that came from Hermione's direction.

"That might work as well, Ginny won't rest because she's under the delusion that you were hook-winked by Malfoy and that now you're bi or something of the kind."

"She's under such delusion because _you _said that to her Hermione," Harry said with his hands on his hips glaring angrily.

Hermione shrugged and with her hand on her son's walked calmly back to her room, ignoring Harry's incessant angry mumbling.

_...tbc…_


	9. Part IX

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – IX**

"Thank you all for coming in such short notice," Dumbledore spoke to the room. "It seems that one of our own has found himself in a rather troublesome position and is need of our help." Some of its occupants looked curious. "Ronald Weasley has been arrested four days ago, his trial was set up for next week, and we desperately need to take him out of jail the _usual_way, if not we must take him out any way we can."

"Headmaster do you honestly think the Ministry will give up Ron's arrest that easily, do you think we have any chance in winning this trial?" Bill Weasley, who had been assigned to speak in Ron's defense, said.

"No I don't young William, but we must try just the same," Dumbledore said with a resigned air about him. If Dumbledore was honest enough to say they hadn't got a chance, he doubted they would get Ron out of jail with that simple trial.

"Headmaster, not even if I use my name in our favor?" Harry asked.

"It depends. Madam Bones wouldn't be much impressed, but she should help our cause either way, Fudge would certainly crawl at your feet now; but Rufus Scrimgeour would make things positively difficult for us, Boy-Who-Lived or no."

Harry shrugged, it had been worth a try. Hermione, sitting by his side, had taken to biting her nails that week. Hermione, being the girl she was, racked over every brain cell of hers to try and find a way out of this mess. But unfortunately, Ron really had been spying and there simply was no clean way out of this. Dumbledore had told them that Ron's illegal way out of jail was being taken care off. Hermione poured herself over her books and helped Bill in every way she could but that was about it.

Their suddenly quiet meeting was interrupted by Fawkes' desperate call. A flash of sudden light revealed to them the phoenix that had been absent during the entire duration of their gathering. She dropped a blood red letter on top of Dumbledore's desk, the older man opened it rapidly, scanning the contents with a frown on his face. He stumbled to get up and looked more worried than he had been before.

"I'm afraid this meeting will have to be adjourned until a better time." Harry grew worried after those words. "Trafalgar Square has just been obliterated, the entire place is in shambles and muggles might be in the middle of the ruins," Dumbledore repeated the information he read.

"My spy has only been able to inform this for me now, we must get there as quick as possible to lessen the blow. We do not need to worry about memory spells, a wizarding energy bomb did all destruction and they will confuse it with a bomb of their own. But we must hide any traces of magic and rescue anyone who needs to be rescued."

Harry, Bill, the Twins, Tonks, Ginny, Mad-Eye, Charlie, Remus and Snape stood; knowing this was their fight. The rest would not be able to go, especially Hermione who had to take care of Nathan. Dumbledore already seemed to be contacting a few other members who would meet them there. He made to follow them but Harry didn't think much of that idea.

"Professor you don't seem to well, it would be best if you stayed and briefed any other person who is willing to meet us at London," Harry said helping Dumbledore to sit by holding tightly to his elbow. All the other members had run out of the room, getting away from the castle until they were able to Apparate. "Professor are you alright?"

"I am not as young as I used to be Harry," Dumbledore said with a smile and that was the only answer that seemed to be forthcoming.

Harry shook his head much more in irritation than in any form of amusement. He knew though, that Dumbledore had quite understood what he meant to pass him by that. The old man was killing himself slowly and a dead Dumbledore wouldn't do anyone any kind of good. Harry at least knew he understood that.

"You stay _here _sir, and rest," he said punctuating each word of his.

He ran as fast as he could to catch up with the others but when he passed the gates and the Apparition wards he found the road deserted, the others had already left making Harry Apparate on his own. He disappeared with a loud bang and reappearing in much the same way. No one had seen him, of that he was assured, because smoke filled his nostrils as soon as he breathed in and he looked around but could only see a cloud of gray.

Somewhat thankful for the cloud of dust and smoke he cast a bubblehead charm and cleaned his sooty glasses. Walking around voices that seemed less anxious could be distinguished and recognized as those of wizards, members of Dumbledore's Order. Harry followed those, trying to figure out in which way he could help.

He could swear he saw a familiar blond head walking through that gray smoke and loosing himself in it, Harry lost sight of the figure though he couldn't be certain if it was Draco or not. But he rather hoped it would be because after so long even a glimpse of the blonde was enough for him.

He noticed Remus, alone, his arms stretched and he seemed to be mumbling. Harry had seen that done several times before, when reinforcing Hogwarts wards, and knew that the man was trying to put up a ward of some kind around them so that they could work in peace. He ran to help his former professor, joining hands with him and only adding his powerful to Remus' without chanting those Latin-esk words that he did not understand and couldn't say.

While the others worked mercilessly around them and the dusk cloud that surrounded them started lifting, Remus and Harry finished their work. Now, no muggles could see them and no muggle inside the dome-like ward would leave. Thankfully there was too much dust and people would suspect it had been some kind of terrorist attack.

Harry and Remus took their time modifying the memories of children and other adults that surrounded them while the healers that had arrived after them lifted the curses and healed any injuries that the Death Eaters had thrown at those defenseless, unknowing people. There were several cases though that the healer didn't seem to be able to work with.

"Harry I need you to Apparate back to Hogwarts and bring Poppy, immediately, this little girl won't stop convulsing and I think we might loose her," Kingsley said as he grabbed hold of Harry's forearm and rushed him outside the magical dome. Harry nodded in acquiesce and disappeared with a loud crack that made a few muggles flinch.

Harry ran as fast as he could to the hospital wing in his way producing a Portkey, out of an old piece of parchment he found inside his pocket, so that the matron could get to the attack site as fast as she could. She blundered around seemingly lost for a few seconds while in the background Harry explained a few of the injuries he had seen.

"They mostly seem burnt, you might need salve," at that she had to glare at him for trying to explain to her, her own work, "Kingsley said of a girl who was convulsing, perhaps a curse that hit her. It's not the Cruciatus though, I am sure of that." Madam Pomfrey nodded distractedly while grabbing one jar or other from her potions cabinet.

"Well I have all I need Mr. Potter we best be going, hurry on now?' she said commandingly and looking extremely impatient.

Harry handed her the blank parchment, activating it with the tip of his wand. "I must see Professor Dumbledore and explain to him the entire situation, the Portkey will activate once you count to three, Kingsley will brief you better once you get there. Good luck ma'am," he said before dashing out of the Hospital Wing, in time to see her count and disappear.

He made his way hurriedly through the corridors using many of his short cuts and secret passageways to find a better way to Dumbledore's office. He was out of breath and happy that he had finally arrived there once he stopped in front of the gargoyle's. They glared at him as usual, but Harry muttered the passwords and both Gargoyle's obediently stepped aside.

He ran up the moving stairs, taking two steps at a time and barged into Dumbledore's office forgetting to knock or make his presence known in any way. Thankfully he was holding the doorknob once he opened the door, because once he took in what was inside that room, before him, he stumbled back and felt sure he was about to black out.

Looking quickly between Dumbledore and the person he currently shared his office with Harry felt tears well up in his eyes. Old tears he had learned to know so well, welled up in his eyes. He had grown tired of those tears over the years, but they were against abandoning him fiercely.

"Draco," he managed to choke out, and even if you did not see those crystalline tears cascading his face it was clear through his voice that he was fighting a loosing battle against holding them at bay. "What – how – I – I don't understand," he finished meekly after stumbling on his words.

Draco, Harry noticed through watery eyes, seemed as stunned and as emotional as he. And Dumbledore was torn between choosing words, he did not know what to do for a first time in a long time. Harry breathed in deeply, knowing that crying would do him no good, Draco was there, finally. He cleaned his tears but kept back, hand firmly on the doorknob waiting for anyone but him to take the next step.

"Harry would you like to sit?" Dumbledore questioned as he sat back on his chair. Draco didn't seem inclined to move just as Harry.

"N-no," Harry said shakily and Dumbledore's words suddenly fueled him on. He moved forward with need and as fast as he could, still stumbling from the shock he had not gotten over. Before he knew what he was doing and what was happening Draco was once again in his arms and he was crying again babbling incoherently.

In his stupor he did not even notice the blond stiffen in surprise and then melt into the embrace. Harry noticed nothing and everything about him taking for granted anything but Draco. His eyes solely focused on him but unseeing, as if he did not exactly believe everything that was happening. He only knew that Draco was there, and hugging him back, his whole body shaking just as Harry's.

His brain was still trying to wrap around the idea of Draco being really back, but Draco's shaking limbs entangled with his was a sweet reassurance that Harry was not hallucinating or dreaming. None of his dreams had ever been this good, and this one couldn't possibly be one of them.

"You're back right? For good?" his thoughts spurred him into questioning him. After asking Draco though he was rather worrisome of the answer that could come his way. And dreadful thoughts entered his mind when he felt Draco stiffen once more in his arms.

Harry spluttered and stepped back, he was certain that answer was not want he was ready to hear now. He cleaned his face and turned towards the door, which was still ajar.

"Yes Harry, Draco will be joining us from now on, he will help us with Ron's case," Dumbledore's warm voice said from behind his table.

Harry blushed crimson now realizing the Headmaster had been with them while Harry fell into an emotional heap. Harry turned to look away but he felt giddy, extremely and wholly giddy, like he hadn't felt in years. Since Draco had left to be exact. Draco was staying with them, with _him_. He only hoped he'd still wanted him, unsure even after his lover's display of emotion.

"Harry, Draco sit there is much to discuss," Dumbledore said and his voice soothed Harry's ears that were buzzing.

"Isn't Bill helping with Ron's case headmaster?" questioned Harry once his brain had gone back into strategy mode. "Oh! I was supposed to tell you about the attack. They're taking care of it all Professor, but we had to send Poppy there. There will be a few memory swipes but everything seemed to be under control."

"Thank you for informing me, I am glad you've had me informed," was his answer, and a white haired head inclined his head. Harry tried to push away rebelling thoughts; Dumbledore was starting to learn to keep him informed after all. "As I was saying Draco is here to help with Mr. Weasley's problem, but in an inventive way," he replied with a chuckle, his eyes though were hard stones.

Harry did not like the expression on Albus' face; he looked at Draco sideways who had a pinched look on his face that never meant anything good.

"Would you care to explain headmaster?" Harry questioned cautiously.

Dumbledore seemed to be thoughtful for a few minutes, and Harry felt the need to protest because he knew he'd be led into the dark like always. But Dumbledore seemed to sense this, unsurprisingly as always; he raised his hand a sign for Harry to _wait_ and to have _patience_.

"I will only say for now that in case Ron needs any other sort of assistance we will be able to give it to him," he said and Harry instantly looked confused. "In case Ron's trial does not turn out as we expect it too."

Harry did not try to question the man because he knew him too well to do so. He nodded his head pretending to understand the riddles that had been said to him.

"I think Draco would appreciate some rest Harry, perhaps he can stay in your room until we can arrange one of his own," the headmaster said smartly a small smile on his face.

Harry blushed once more, he felt like a teenager all over again, but nodded. By Dumbledore's desk sat two suitcases that he imagined to be Draco's. They looked expensive and extremely filled. Yes, definitely Draco's.

"I will get Dobby to drop them in your rooms," Albus said noticing to where Draco was glancing.

Harry nodded with a smile, he was slightly out of words, it all seemed too surreal for him at the moment. He did not dare speak his thoughts; they were a jumbled mess he himself didn't understand. His head was spinning and he felt lightheaded, even if he tried not to show it.

"Harry I would appreciate if you allowed Draco to use your cloak, I will explain everything to the members tonight, they'd be horribly frightened to find a known Death Eater roaming around the school until then."

"Of course."

He pulled the cloak from his pocket, the cloak he got used to carrying everywhere with him; handed it to his once lover, he really wished to know where they stood now that so many years had gone by. But neither spoke and even if it wasn't to Harry's liking he thought best not to interrupt such silence. Sometimes the sound of silence helped him think and he needed to do _that,_ very much so.

The corridors were dark and nobody seemed to be out, people didn't stay out and about these days it was more dangerous now than ever before. Harry appreciated that, it was much better than having to walk amongst the crowded corridors that Hogwarts used to have when they were all students.

They had just arrived the corridor were his room was located and Harry had enough time to groan loudly and step forward with a firmer pace. Someone was waiting him by his door, or rather, his portrait. He could feel the cloak beside him rustling as Draco probably looked at him in question.

"Oh Harry I'm quite glad you're safe," Ginny said in a loud wailing voice. "I know you must be terribly exhausted but I think we really should talk."

Harry prayed the gods for some more patience, they were in the middle of war and Ginny wanted to discuss yet again a relationship they did not have. He understood the poor girl sometimes, every one had agreed with her pursue of Harry and she just wanted to find some comfort during these difficult times. Unfortunately for her Harry's form of comfort was standing behind him hidden under his invisibility cloak.

"Ginny I'm very tired after all of this and I still have to read a few books that might help with Ron's case, would you mind if we had this conversation tomorrow?" he pleaded.

Ginny looked crushed but understood Harry's reason, thankfully for him she dropped her head and walked away from his rooms.

…_tbc…_


	10. Part X

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – X**

Harry kept watching Ginny's back until she turned the corner; he was quite apprehensive about getting inside his apartment and having a dreadfully uncomfortable, but much needed, conversation with Draco. He had dreamed of it so many times but now he was nothing short of terrified. He had never felt this way before. He always supposed this moment would be one of utter perfection and they'd start off from where they had left and be the happiest of couples once again, he knew now he had imagined it all wrong. Draco could be heard shuffling under the cloak and Harry was looking at anywhere but at the empty space Draco probably occupied.

It was best to get this over with as fast as possible, Harry thought squaring his shoulders and opening the door. He let Draco in and locked the door, but before he could actually say anything Draco talked.

"Could you show me to my room Potter, I'm rather tired," he said.

Harry sighed wearily and pointed to the third door behind him, he forced himself not to ask about Draco's use of the word 'Potter'. Maybe it had been to long for them to get back together, maybe Draco had moved onto something better, but Harry really thought that hug back in Dumbledore's office had meant something.

He didn't have time to think about his relationship, or lack thereof, he had to think about freeing his best friend and possibly in a legal way. It wasn't likely to happen but he had to try anyway as best as he could. Instead of going to his bedroom he went to his library of ever growing law books. It was probably the third night that he would go without sleeping much but if that helped in any way he'd do it.

Even in the library he could hear pacing from Draco's room, and it was distracting him from the book he was trying to read, he wasn't about to tell the other man that though. He could pace all he wanted Harry wasn't about to interrupt him.

Harry woke up to find himself in his armchair; the book he had been reading had fallen to the floor, and shaking by the chill of the castle. He wondered if Draco had woken yet, but it wouldn't make much difference since Draco didn't seem to be very happy to be near him. He set the fallen book back to its place, and left the room. Outside the library his rooms were silent, which Harry had gotten used to over the years.

He left the library hoping Draco had already left, he didn't need to meet the blond first thing in the morning. Being thrown together was Dumbledore's idea of a welcome home party, for their spy, Harry preferred to keep his distance and talk to his lover once they were both ready.

Breakfast was uneventful, he was sure though that Draco had left since his Invisibility Cloak had gone missing, Draco was surely using it to walk around the castle. Perhaps he'd later drop by the Headmaster's office to see if Draco had been there.

He felt rather stupid for crying the day before, he felt rather stupid for being such an emotional jerk, when Draco clearly didn't have much time for him anymore. The blond had been as enthusiastic with their encounter as he had been it seemed, but afterwards he had gone cold and distant, like the Malfoy Brat he had omce known all too well.

The sun was trying to make its way through some white clouds in the sky, it had been in days like these that he and Ron had gone for a ride on their broomsticks. Sometimes they had even been able to manage a quick game of Quidditch Without his friend he felt as if his own right arm had been ripped off of his body, Harry consciously knew that the loved Ron like a brother but he would've never guesses he'd miss him this much.

On cue to these dark thoughts Ginny appeared by his side with a frown of worry on her face. Harry at times felt pity for the young girl, after all she cared for him dearly. But he had to make her understand he wasn't interested in her, and maybe he knew just how to do it.

"Harry you seem too worried, let's go for a walk," she said offering her arm for him to entwine with hers.

"Sure Ginny, I feel like we should have a long talk," he said, stepping around her to avoid linking arms with her. "Shall we?" he said steering her towards the door her shoulder.

Draco watched them from under the invisibility cloak, he had been subjected to eating his breakfast under it and was to accompany the Old Coot afterwards. Weasley's case seemed to be turning to the bad side and Draco would help to find some way for the redhead to escape before it was too late.

But Draco wasn't too worried about Weasley's trial at the moment, though he was supposed to, he was much more interested in the close relationship Harry and the She-Weasel appeared to have. He had thought Harry would want him back, but Harry hadn't talked much yesterday and Draco himself had pushed away any of _those _thoughts out of his mind before he started to get any stupid ideas.

Apparently Harry and he wouldn't be getting back together anytime soon, it seemed Harry had found himself a substitute. A redhead _girly _tart Draco thought, but if Harry had chosen _her _there was nothing he could do.

Harry and Ginny, unaware of the glare they had received whilst in the Great Hall, continued their track to the somewhat empty castle. It was early in the morning and people were either eating or in their own rooms.

"Look Harry I really want to know why you're treating me so coldly these days?" the redhead said, Harry was taken aback by the confident girl that didn't seem too much like the Ginny Weasley that hounded his every steps. "I like you I really do, but perhaps its time I get over you and get on with my life, especially if you keep treating me like dirt."

Harry sighed and before answering weighed his words, he was aware that he hadn't been treating her properly, but there was a lot going on and Ginny irritated him with her lack of commitment with the war in general.

"I'm sorry for the way I've treated you so far Ginny, but I get rather annoyed by your attitude regarding the war, you seem as if you don't care. It's seems, for me, that all you're after is a piece of me and everything happening around is unimportant."

Ginny laughed, a loud bark of a laugh Harry didn't know she was capable of. He looked nonplussed wondering what exactly was funny about what he had just said, this perhaps was what he had been talking about, the girl was laughing about some serious matters they were discussing.

"Look Harry don't get me wrong, you're very attractive and I am extremely interested in you, but wouldn't you think that maybe I'm diving headstrong into this attitude of mine in order to forget this bloody war? I mean my brother is in jail for Gryffindor's sakes! My mother won't let me join the fight, I might a well try to forget about it all while I'm stuck in this bloody castle," she said angrily. "I know you're our hero and it seems amazing that someone doesn't actively fight the war against this bloody monster, it's just that my mother isn't helping matters. I know you mustn't understand the position I'm in, but thius seems to be the only way to cope with my lack of cooperation regarding the war."

"Oh, well I didn't know that actually." Harry now felt somewhat embarrassed, his cheeks getting pink. "I'm sorry for not actually asking you how you felt about everything that's been going on, it must be horrible for you. Now, you've told me the truth Gin, I feel like the least I could do was act the same way." Harry took a deep breath and prepared himselg to tell her what he shoul've told a long while ago. " I'm gay actually, and I'm in love with someone, it's just that the war got us parted."

Ginny was surprised, well who wouldn't be learning that the-Boy-Who-Lived was gay after all. She had a thoughtful expression and Harry was sure she was trying to figure out who exactly was he in love with.

"It's not Ron is it?" she asked tentatively.

"NO! No Gin, good heavens no," Harry felted irked at the mere mention of him and Ron, who was like his twin, in any kind of romantic relationship.

"Alright, alright," she said laughingly, holding her arms up in exasperation.. "Sorry, it's just that you're friendship with my brother and Hermione always left room for some especulation. So, who is it?"

"If I told you I'd have to kill you," Harry said with a straight face. Ginny looked taken a back. "I'm joking Gin, its better to be kept a secret though so I'll have to hold on to that answer."

Ginny shrugged now understanding that the great love of her life, or at least whom she thought was the great love of her life, was taken.

"Hey, are you alright?" Harry asked his arms around her shoulders.

"Not alright, no. But I think it gets better," she said with a small smile. "I just hope you're happy."

Harry beamed at her, happy that their conversation had led off to someone being killed. He thought Ginny would've but much more difficult to talk to. Perhaps Hermione had talked to her without telling him.

Dumbledore's office seemed the only plausible place where Draco could have been, he was supposed to stay out of sight from the rest of the Hogwarts population, there was nowhere else to go really. Harry, hoping he was right, made his way up the moving staircase wanting to talk things over his the blond he still loved dearly.

The room was quiet inside but Dumbledore soon told him to enter, without Harry having to knock of course. Just as expected Draco was sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk with tea in on of his hands, a bag full of lemon drop's in his lap and an extremely sour expression place on his face. Harry knew what an exasperating Dumbledore could do with you.

"Harry is there anything you want?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

"No, actually headmaster I was wondering if I could take Draco from you for a while," he asked shyly, not wanting to look at Draco and see his expression.

"I'm afraid we are in the middle of something important Harry," the old man said apologetically.

Harry's shoulder's dropped but he could understand the Headmaster's reasoning.

"I think Potter and I must talk Headmaster, it is of the upmost importance," Draco said looking like the lord Harry supposed he probably was.

"Mr. Malfoy –"

Draco waved Dumbledore away and caught Harry by the arm dragging him out of the room. Harry really wanted to know what had made Draco change his mind, because last night he had been anything but in a mood to talk.

They descended the staircase and Draco ushered them into a small alcove not too far from the office they had just left. He looked around trying to find any gossipy pictures that could report to Dumbledore but found none, with that out of the way he turned around to look at Harry, his arms defensively crossed in front of him.

"So Potter, how's it going between you and that Weasel tart of yours?"


	11. Part XI

**Nothing Will Tear Us Apart XI**

"What the fuck are you talking about Draco?" Harry half screamed, into the corridor.

"You know what? I don't even want to know, you self centered idiot! I've – I've waited years for you, gave my life to end over this idiotic-bigot's war because for a world where I'd be free to live with you, I've stopped my life for _you! _And you come here and start demanding answers about, of all people, Ginny?" Harry stopped his yelling startled, they weren't exactly hidden and anyone could've overheard his tantrum. Feeling uncommonly deflated and out of energy he made a slashing movement in Draco's direction.

"I hope Dumbledore has found you a new room to stay, because you are certainly not setting foot in my rooms again," his voice sounded oddly emotionless in his ears. "I expect to find my invisibility cloak and all of your things removed by the end of the day and that is all Draco."

Harry could hardly believe his ears, he couldn't possibly have heard correctly. At that thought he decided to leave Draco before he said anything that would worsen the fragment of relationship that could still exist. He had waited for years; he had distance himself from the possibility of having any other relationship. He fought for Draco, breathed for Draco, kept on living for the blond idiot. And he questioned him about Ginny Weasley? That daft man.

Harry stormed away from Draco and decided to immerse himself in his quest for Ron's safety, rather that mull about whatever crossed that blond head of Draco's.

-//-

A week before Ron's trial, in which Harry would be speaking for his friend, found the scarred boy brooding in his room. He tried to get work done but of course he lost precious time thinking about something as frivolous as relationship problems. Around him everyone kept on training and fighting against Death Eater but Harry, under the ruse of helping his best mate, could only think about his once-lover Draco Malfoy.

"Potter! Potter, are you there?" hollered that same lover from the door.

"What do you want? I'm working!" Pssh, what a lousy liar he was.

"Well there's no need for that any longer, there's been an attack and every prisoner from the Ministry holding cells have been released," Draco's voice sounded extremely anxious and Harry without thinking twice left his chair to open the door for him.

"What do you mean released? Do we have any news about him, is Ron alright?"

"Potter stop being stupid and start thinking with your head for once, of course we have no news, the Ministry's been attacked by Death Eaters! Dumbledore is calling you in his office, I thinking we'll soon be leaving in a rescue party," Draco sounded annoyed, more annoyed than usual. "I was so looking forward to a nice soak in the bathtub."

"You son of a bitch, stop thinking about yourself at least once, Ron could be in danger!" he retorted angrily.

"Well you're the once wasting time fighting with me instead of running along to the headmaster's office," the Blond Headed idiot said with a stuck up smile on his face.

Harry flushed read and restrained himself from strangling Draco, the urge was almost too great. He closed the door and ran to Dumbledore's office instead. He could hear Malfoy following behind and thought that maybe he cared for Ron's safety more than he let on.

He hastily entered the office without bothering to knock, there were several people inside of course, simply waiting for the entire ensemble to arrive, being that Harry and of course Draco who was right behind him closing the door. The room seemed more cluttered than usual specially with most of the Order inside, talking and gesticulating all together.

"Harry my boy, come closer will you," Dumbledore motioned him through the mass of wizards. "I'm afraid I'll need to ask Mr. Malfoy and you to work together on this one."

Harry looked affronted, and ready to argue. Of course Dumbledore stopped him before he could.

"Mr. Malfoy knows the Ministry extremely well and he is in possession of maps, that once belonged to his father, that will take you inside the Ministry without much difficulty, unfortunately Tom has put up some impressing wards up, and apart from myself you will certainly be the only one able to move them.

"I'd like for you to study the map for the rest of the day, have a nice resting sleep, possibly with some calming potion to help, and early tomorrow both of you can head to the ministry."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to send a bigger group with us, sir?'

"I'm afraid no, most Order members are now aware of Mr. Malfoy's allegiance, as you well know, but that does not mean they trust him," Dumbledore explained with that infuriating calming manner of his. "There'll be another group trying to get in of course, as well as some agents of ours, but you must trust no one but Mr. Malfoy once inside the Ministry. You will both try to find any survivors and of course Mr. Weasley, we have heard there are a few people barricaded inside the Aurors office, so perhaps you must start looking there."

Sometimes it saddened him, Draco did so much for the Order, so much that wasn't acknowledged, and now they had to work alone because it was better to do so than to work with people who didn't trust you. Even though Dumbledore had all told them about his spy work they were barely restraining themselves from glaring at him. Draco reminded him terribly of Snape for that reason, and that simply worsened the situation. No matter how much of a bastard he was Snape didn't deserve to be treated as a Death Eater and neither did Draco. Best stop thinking about misunderstood spies and start putting his efforts into saving his best friend.

"Alright Headmaster I will start studying those maps straight away, is there anything else?" There wasn't, once being dismissed Harry grabbed Draco by the arm leading him away from Dumbledore's office and into once of the study rooms.

Unused classrooms had long since been turned in strategically warded study rooms for the use of Order members, and of them alone. To enter one you needed an ever changing password that Minerva McGonagall herself thought of.

"_Blood Sucking Bugbear_," Harry said the large wooden door that simply opened soundlessly letting him and Draco inside. "You have these maps I've heard of with you right?"

"Yes, of course, the Headmaster asked me beforehand to get them." Harry nodded while casting spells to open the windows and light up some lamps. Another spell got rid of any dust. "We'll be breaking into the Ministry to save the Weasel then?'

"Shut your trap about him, he's probably being tortured and there you are calling him names!"

"I'm sure people called _me _names when I was away as a spy," Draco muttered in such a resentful tone it cut Harry's heart up to listen to it.

"I didn't let them of course, but there was still the fact no one knew you were at our side," he answered speaking in a matter of fact way.

"Yeah but anyway…"

Malfoy thought best to put those maps on the table instead of continuing such discussion that was taking them nowhere. Weasley couldn't be left behind there were so many things he knew that would put the entire Order into trouble. If Voldemort put his hands on the ginger head there was no stopping him in taking the castle.

"Dumbledore told me there people hiding at the Law Enforcement Department, which is at Level Two. The holding cells are at Level Ten not far off the courtrooms, therefore Ron might be stuck between those levels, or he might have made it to Level Two. Anyway we'll have to search for him," Harry commented as he pointed the places they would search.

"I'm not sure if he go through all the Level of let that for the other group going in, we're in there to rescue Ron after all, do you think we should try to find Scrimgeour or maybe he's hiding at home under his bed?" said Harry smiling almost evilly.

"Maybe looking for him, at least, would be best," Draco responded. Harry merely shrugged.

"We must rescue those at Level Two anyway, Death Eaters are probably guarding the place but under the Invisibility Cloak we can take them, some of the Twins product might help as well."

"What if Voldemort's there?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Then I'll bring along a few other weapons and I might have the chance to finish him once and for all."

_..tbc.._

A/N: I'm really really sorry for the short chapter, but i'm more than stuck at this story, as some of you probably guessed and I'm trying to work something out. I promise to finish it I really do! I hope you review and let me know what you think of it so far!!


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